KISS THE WATER - AND MARCH TO THE BEAT OF YOUR OWN DRUM...

I don’t quıte know how to say this… I just want to come straight out and start off by saying that never in my wildest dreams could I actually have been able to picture myself advising you guys to watch what seems to be for all intents and purposes, a documentary on fly fishing. No, no don’t close the page just yet; I assure you there is more to it than that. Kiss the Water, is a little number that made quite a stir in film festivals this year; be it Tribeca, Hot Springs or Edinburgh… Calling it a merely a documentary on fly fishing would be an immense insult to the extraordinary woman whose story it tells… And in fact, to the film itself – after all it does rise to the challenge of its extraordinary subject matter and tells its story in rather an extraordinary way…

The story is that of Megan Boyd. You probably wouldn’t have heard of her. But she is, in fact, one of the greatest creators of fishing flies to have lived. Miss Boyd was both eccentric and a recluse. But that does not mean she was shut off from the world. Her works of art – for how else can I describe them – have graced the collections of the rich and famous, of royalty and of collectors all over the world…

And I am pretty sure that this is going to be the first of many points in this little gem that will take you by surprise. Her fishing flies were so beautiful that there is an open division of opinion as to whether they were ever intended to be used at all… One expert on the matter even confidently states that they weren’t intended for use – he is, however, contradicted by Miss Boyd’s apprentice which to my mind says the last word on the matter. I must confess, I have had very little to do with fly fishing in my time. I had no idea what to expect when we had the first extreme close-up of a fly. I was mesmerized in an instant, hooked as it were, by one of the many salmons her flies caught… The colours, the ingenuity, the creativity…You should watch the documentary, if for no other reason, so that your impression of fishing flies – whatever they may be – can be corrected once and for all.

But that is by far and away not the only thing that recommends the film. Since it has taken on a rather extraordinary life and person, Kiss the Water goes slightly off the beaten track as far as its cinematography goes. True, there are the requisite talking heads – people who knew her, who worked with her, who studied her work… These are intercut with simply stunning visuals from the Scottish countryside (it really got the travel bug in me going) and with stunning and almost abstract animations, not to reconstruct anything in particular but, to convey the emotions created by fishing, the flies, the nature, Miss Boyd herself and her creative process. For a split second I was concerned that the whole animation thing was going to lapse slightly into the overly artistic and pretentious, but no.  The animation sequences capture a sense of beauty and creativity that quite unexpectedly appear in the midst of the more conventional segments of the documentary – much like the moment Miss Boyd’s flies hit the water and brought a tiny speck of something different into the river…

Another point I rather liked about the documentary is the fact that Miss Boyd’s physical form is strangely absent from her life story… It may seem odd that we do not actually see pictures (moving or otherwise) of her right until the very end. But look at it this way, The documentary does such a good job of conveying everything about Miss Boyd, her character and her work that a mere photograph could not convey –we don’t actually need the obligatory grainy videos of her. We have learnt all that is important. Not that the grainy videos are out of place or ill-used when they do come, mind you…

Quite apart from anything else, this documentary is a wonderful opportunity to marvel at how many different guises artistic talent and creativity can come in… And what a wonderful thing it is to have the courage to walk to the beat of one’s own drum – and that beat alone.  Because you know, it doesn’t make a lot of sense at first glance, living out most of one’s life in a tiny remote cottage with neither electricity nor running water making a living by hand-making fishing flies but you know… Aren’t you glad she did?

For viewers in the UK The Art of Fly Fishing : Kiss the Water is currently available on BBC Iplayer… I say go check it out… Like, now… 

THE LONG AWAITED STORY OF A VERY BAD FAIRY... "MALEFICIENT"

What a sensation this one caused when the trailer first hit the web. It came in with a whole wave of “backstories” for fairy tales although we can sit down and argue how good of a job the various Snow White variations did. So Maleficient is the story of Sleeping Beauty. But of course, true to form, it’s the story of “what really happened”. Starring a particularly striking looking Angelina Jolie, among other things, Disney has done a good job of bringing a new angle to a very classic fairy tale.

Maleficient (Angelina Jolie) was not always an evil fairy. She was, once, young and strong and good. So good in fact that she became the protector of the fairy folk. However, like most of us, she had an Achilles heel. Her heart belonged to someone else, a human boy called Stefan, to be precise. The fairy folk are different from humans in many ways and do not understand the lust for power and riches, but Stefan is ambitious. In fact more ambitious than most. In time, Stefan’s political ambition turns him against Maleficient. Love turns to hate and so begins a supernatural war between the lovers that spans decades and draws the lives of other innocents into its midst… Has Maleficient’s heart turned to stone? Or is there a spark of good left in her to allow her to put things right?

I mean ok, as far as the storyline goes this is a pretty bog standard Disney film. I mean all the questions in the previous paragraph are, as we all know, rhetorical. We all know what’s basically going to happen in the end. But I still love the way Disney frames and ends it. Maleficient (and here comes a spoiler) actually holds the key to Aurora’s cure, and quite easily pushes aside the “love interest”, Phillip, proving that the only true love that is possible in this life, comes from our families. This is, of course, in part a response to the success of Brave with its play on the bond between mother and daughter. I mean, of course, Aurora is the daughter Stefan and Maleficient SHOULD have had (incidentally, was it me, or was it slightly unfair the way Stefan’s queen was so summarily gotten rid of without us having so much as learnt her name?). And if we had any other doubts left, Aurora has taken to calling Maleficient Godmother (which is almost Mother anyway), so there we are. Of course the other twist in the tail of this tale is that, in the same way that Prince Charming turns out to definitively NOT be the answer to Aurora’s problems (the film rather cynically stresses “there is no such thing as true love” throughout), Stefan who actually should be the one we sympathise with, in a way, becomes the unadulterated villain, so much so that we don’t really feel that upset when he falls to his death at the end. But I can’t help but wonder – if it’s about parental love, would a kiss from Stefan woken her up too? Hmm… I think I may have found a loophole.

Angelina Jolie is, it has to be said, rather magnificent as Maleficient. Of course she is a story book villain for quite a bit of the film and the effect does rely a bit on the visual. But we do see glimmers of her actual talent here and there, so it is not just built on posturing and posing. And of course, apart from giving us the rather liberating message that a woman’s salvation does not only come through finding a man (incidentally, there is something about Maleficient’s turning good being parallel with her regaining her wings that begs an analogy of women finding their own feet, love giving you wings and the like but the exact wording escapes me), there is another message in there. An important one in our divisive times. Namely, that no one is actually completely black. We are all grey. Some are a darker grey than others, but we all have streaks of white along with the black in us and in life, these are the streaks one should aim for. This is why you can, in life, find the most unexpected people become your friends through the most unlikely circumstances, much like the case of Maleficient.

Incidentally there is a wonderful cast of side characters in this one too, I was so happy to see Sam Riley (who I just LOVED in Control) as Diaval, the voice of Maleficient’s conscience (and also her servant but let’s not get lost in details) and the trio of pixies led by Imelda Staunton also provide a good giggle.

I can safely say that Maleficient is the perfect combo of serious food for thought and family friendly fun. I mean heck, I watched this on a plane, with no “excuses” in the shape of kids around and I loved it J

IT AIN'T EASY FINDING "TRUE GRIT" IN THE WILD WEST...

I had, I do believe, made a loose resolution of sorts at the beginning of the year that I was going to watch a lot more of the old classics this year. I inadvertently started catching up with this resolution when I purchased True Grit in a charity shop thinking, for some reason completely incomprehensible to me now, thought it was something completely different and a lot more recent. I actually started watching it on my way up to Dream Factory on the train, a rather fitting return to creative cinematic roots. I really, truly should watch more westerns. They are the grandparents of so many action films in so many ways… And damn good fun to boot.

True Grit is the story of Mattie Ross (Kim Darby). Her family is struck by tragedy when her beloved father is killed and the scoundrel who killed him runs off with the family savings. Mattie however, is a strong and resourceful girl – and a true daddy’s girl to boot. She is not going to let the fact that she is a mere child stop her avenging her father. She may not be able to chase the man down and arrest him herself – but she knows to find the man who can! Enter Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne, who actually won an Academy Award for his performance), a wily old U.S. Marshal who is both up for and capable of pretty much anything given the right monetary (and liquid) encouragement. Now, asking Rooster to track this man down is one thing. Getting him to accept that Mattie will be coming with him on the journey is another matter altogether. And then there is the “small” matter of the marshal from Texas who will neither be shaken off their trail nor take no for an answer who is hunting for the same man for a completely different set of crimes… Things are about to seriously hot up – old Rooster’d better have his wits about him!

I have really mixed emotions about this film on some levels. I mean take Madeline. She is the typical rather outdated “perfect” heroine with no faults at all. I mean yeah, I guess it can be counted as at least a stroke of originality that she is a tom boy. She has short hair like a boy, can ride and use a gun. But as far as her morals and the way she act goes she is, basically, far too perfect to be believed. Then again this was 1969 so I guess heroines with realistic character flaws were rather thin on the ground. It didn’t stop her annoying me all the way through the film though. You know, in the way you get annoyed with the nerd in class that constantly gets top marks. And before you berate me for saying this, back in the day I WAS that nerd. So I actually can say things like that.  

And I mean of course one can’t really go comparing the way things were (or at least the way they were portrayed) back in the day to these days or you’d just go mad. I mean for example, call her “baby sister” all the way throughout or not, was I the only one who got slightly concerned about the “friendship” between Rooster and Mattie? Oh come on! We live in an age where veteran entertainers who were the joys of our childhood are accused of child abuse (I don’t want to name names and go into discussions, UK readers will know what I am talking about)  don’t tell me you didn’t think of that at all from a 21^st century perspective! But then again, I guess it was a slightly more innocent age when these things – if not uncommon – were definitely not discussed so much. Plus of course True Grit is very much a family film of its time. And for all the components of a classic western that it is (It’s a John Wayne movie for God’s sakes! ) this is very much like the children’s films of yore where the young heroine (usually of the age of the target audience – and hand on heart I couldn’t swear to how old Mattie is supposed to be here although she still lives at home and very much is her father’s baby (as opposed to a woman of marriageable age) so she can’t be THAT old) completes amazing feats with the aid of a larger and stronger yet bumbling sidekick. In this case the amazing Rooster Cogburn who for all his talent and bravado clearly does not have half Maddie’s skills at planning, foresight and determination and oh, scandal of scandals; HE DRINKS WISKEY. The horror.

As I write these I am genuinely not sure if it is my complete desensitization to violence and “hard hitting” movies that has prompted me but honestly, to me, True Grit felt like a movie for young adults. I would actually say children but there adult themes such as death (not least the death of Maddie’s father), drink, gambling and cheating so maybe not very young children but especially in this age of smartphones and data overload pre-teens could hack it. Ironically enough they may even find bits of it naïve. I’m thinking you as an adult will almost definitely find things to smile knowingly at. But is this a bad thing? Not if you’re me. It’s definitely one for the fans of John Wayne, westerns and old movies to gather round. Definitely one to watch with your slightly older kids. It’s not going to change your world and your philosophy but if you want to escape the 21^st century real world for an hour or two, Rooster Cogburn is your man!

PS If you watch the film look out for Dennis Hopper in a tiny part as Moon one of the motely gang Mattie and Rooster are chasing!

A DISAPPOINTING FORECAST : CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2

Sequels scare me. Especially if I really like the previous film as much as I liked Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. There definitely is some wisdom in not fixing something that isn’t broken. But therein lies the paradox ; if you are making a sequel, by definition it has to be a new film and yet you can’t quite let it stray too far from the original either. It’s a tricky job, sequels. It’s also the reason they so often go very wrong. I mean think about it, save a few notable examples (The Godfather trilogy being a notable one) really GOOD sequels are very few and far between. This one is not bad. It is not the first film – but definitely not bad.

So, the second story picks up pretty much where the first one left off. The clear-up operation is about to begin when the cavalry barrels in unannounced and definitely uninvited. The cavalry is “Live Corp.”, the world’s number one high tech company. And they have a miraculous proposition. Not only will they clear up the island, they are offering Flint a job! For the young scientist this is an opportunity he simply cannot miss. Not least because it affords him the opportunity to work with his all-time science hero Chester V. So it seems like a very exciting new start for Flint, Sam and all our old friends from Swallow Falls. However they quickly realise that often, if something looks too good to be true – it often ain’t… The problem is, Flint may just be so blinded by Live Corp and his hero-worship for Chester that he may just miss all the warning signs…                      

There were a couple of things about this film that really made me laugh. First up, let’s call a spade a spade, Live Corp is very, very clearly Apple. The whole idea that Apple “pure evil” etc. is of course a common joke – at least in the adult world. There are also quite a few food related puns floating around there and um… Ok here is where it starts to get a little tricky - cause yes the puns a funny but there are way, way too many of them. This is what makes me think this film edges slightly closer to a kid’s movie as opposed to an adult one. Because let’s face it, a steady stream of bad puns are a lot funnier if you’re around 10 as opposed to around 30. The same thing goes for the animals or rather the foodimals. I mean, don`t get me wrong, they are funny and amazing. The creators of the animation must have had SO much fun creating them. But they`re just… Presented to untidily. I mean I know the island is an ideal place to present it - the  machine spews the animals out all random and higgledy piggledy so this is the perfect way to present them. In completely random order. I would have slightly preferred  some kind of rhyme or reason. That and the whole sexless reproduction thing had me in stitches - in the same way the puns and random order of animals did this may escape the attention of younger viewers but for the older ones… Oh yeah, the machine just spits out the babies. The foodimals just adopt them and that`s that. Such typical Disneyesque family values, I had to laugh.

So… Yeah. It`s a bit more of a kids film. Which is possibly why I was slightly disappointed watching it. But then again, I suppose there is nothing actually wrong with old fashioned values. Back in the day animation was a medium almost exclusively for children`s films – cartoons for adults are a relatively new phenomenon. And I mean come on, almost all animation fans are big kids at heart it is not that hard to adapt to be absolutely honest…  But well… It`s the whole sequel thing, isn`t it  - these are characters you know well and you have high expectations personally tinged with your own personality and imagination. It can be a bit tough to be faced with the objective reality of it at the best of times. Then there is the fact that now the angle has subtly shifted and it`s now a tiny tad more of a kids film which puts you in an odd position vis a vis the film. I mean, if you think about it – the strawberry (thisll mean more to those of you who have seen the film) but yeah, think about it. Isn`t it the typical cuddly cute sidekick (who typically can`t speak – think telletubbies). So in a sense the characters we know haven`t developed but have actually infantilized (also, while I think of it, remember the one and only kiss between Sam and Flint right at the beginning of the film - the puffed out cheeks as the tips of their lips come together). I mean as a marketing ploy, I get it, cinema is an incredibly competitive market and appealing more to the kids (who can very effectively get their parents to spend money) makes sense. But yeah… If you don`t have a niece or nephew or little one to take to the movies you may find yourself wondering what the heck you are doing there at some point… That said, I can think of worse ways to spend a Sunday morning… 

THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY CONTINUES : "THE HOBBIT 2: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG"

Hehehe. I literally squeaked when I saw this on the in-flight entertainment on the way back from Japan. I missed this one. I don’t know how it happen – well I do. I wanted to see it in 3D or IMAX. One wants to save up, make it an occasion, go with friends. But as it often happens when you try and “overcomplicate” things I just couldn’t organise it somehow – and then, as it were, it was gone. So now that we have given in and watched the film on a tiny in-flight entertainment screen,  what can we say about the second half of our unexpected adventure?

Well, our party has crossed the Misty Mountains, but that is by no means the end of their troubles. They have to get through the infamous Mirkwood Forest to arrive at the human settlement at Lake-town, all this in time for the one appointed day where the secret door to Lonely Mountain can be discovered. And even then, although it seems to be a simple matter of Bilbo fulfilling his contract, well, it’s easier said than done. I mean, we’re talking about finding a single magical stone in an unimaginably large hoard of treasure, without waking out a sleeping, terrible dragon.  And all of this would have been a good deal simpler if Gandalf had actually stayed with them but he has… Gone off somewhere… Yeah, actually, what’s with that?

So if you’re a fan, you know exactly where we are in the story – isn’t it getting exciting! This chapter of course introduces us to Legolas. And on a side-note I had completely forgotten how much of a proverbial “badass” Legolas was. Watching him and Tauriel fight was definitely one of the highlights of the film for me. I know , I know, I moan a lot about special effects and the excessive usage thereof, but come on. We are watching this film so we can be transported to a magical world of elves, dwarves and hobbits. Movie magic literally goes without saying. And come on – most if not all of us rather likes the elves. (Oh yes we do. )And I (still) have nothing but praise for the magical world Peter Jackson has created for The Hobbit. It is not quite the same reaction I had to the Harry Potter films. For those, bizarrely a large part of the characters and settings looked almost as if they had been plucked directly from the inside of my head (the one notable exception being Lupin – he was so unlike what I had imagined it actually upset me and made it hard to concentrate on the film for a short while, but that’s a completely different story). But this world is so beautiful, so organic and so sensitively created that even if I (probably) didn’t quite see it like that myself I literally can’t imagine it being any other way. Just open the door and step right in.

Acting-wise, of course everyone is on point. I find it hard to imagine Sir Ian McKellan as anyone OTHER than Gandalf and Martin Freeman is the perfect everyman trying desperately to keep up with the otherworldly madness going on around him. There is a certain “Britishness” to his acting that I think really “makes” Bilbo. Not least, it mustn’t be forgotten, because Tolkein himself was British – so surely that fits? And of course we have a few new additions to the “family”. The most talked about was, without a doubt, Smaug, voiced over by Benedict Cumberbach. Firstly, I genuinely wouldn’t have known it was him if the fact hadn’t been bandied all over the known world for months. Ok that sentence looks weird but you know what I mean. It doesn’t sound like him. And bizarrely it sounds just as absolutely terrifying as a talking dragon should. And, all humans out there (ehm) we finally have someone representing us too! Yay! We finally get to meet Bard (Luke Evans) face to face and we even have an appearance from Stephen Fry as the rather oily master of Lake-town. So basically what we get is a wonderful magical world reconstructed lovingly by Peter Jackson, with a goodly dollop of Britishness and British humour injected in. That’s basically my idea of perfection in so many different ways.

But the thing about a film like The Hobbit is that it is one of the best representatives of a very specific genre. If you like fantasy (you probably couldn’t tell, but I do) you’ll love this. If you don’t, you’ll steer well clear and honestly feel as if you haven’t missed a thing. I don’t blame you. I mean, I don’t understand where you’re coming from at all, but I don’t blame you. It takes all sorts to make a world. I just need a sojourn or two in different worlds from time to time that’s all.

TIME TO THAW THOSE "FROZEN" HEARTS WITH SOME GOOD OLD FASHIONED DISNEY...

The newest Disney sensation! An Oscar ® winner no less! Naturally I had to jump on the bandwagon and get my mitts onto this one as soon as possible – not least because of the complete and utter sensation it seemed to be causing all over the internet. A modern adaptation of The Snow Queen (you know something, I literally hadn’t thought of that until I saw it in the credits at the end) Frozen shows us once again that Disney is doing its best to keep up with the times. And to give them their dues, they haven’t done a too shabby job at it either…

Elsa and Anna are two sisters, two princesses to be precise, and heirs to a small kingdom. There Elsa is the elder sister and heir to the throne one day but there is a slight problem – a problem that must be kept a secret even from her own sister Anna. Elsa has been born with the power to freeze practically everything she touches; she can make it snow or freeze almost at will. Almost. Because, truth be told, Elsa can barely control this power. That said, with the support of her parents she can keep her power in hand (haha see what I did there? Oh never mind...), until an unfortunate accident orphans her and her sister, forcing Elsa onto the throne. Elsa tries to keep everything under wraps, however the stress of the coronation brings the whole secret tumbling out and starts a chain of events that threatens the very existance of the kingdom… There is only one person who can stop it all – but can Anna, an eternal optimist who has grown up in practical isolation in the palace step up to the plate?

Frozen has been hailed as progressive and a big change for Disney’s general rules all over the internet and I will have to join my voice to the chorus up to a point. I mean true, the basic tropes do not change – the whole prince- princess deal, fairy tale endings and the fact that the structure of the story is so predictable that you can predict which attempt will fail and which will succeed with literally no prior knowledge of the script are all there. But let’s give the film it’s due, it has tried to do some things differently. And it seems to have succeeded.

One point that I have seen made time and time again is that only one princess ends up with a man. In fact she technically ends up with two at one point – making the rather original point (for Disney) that love is not as clear cut as “you meet someone, you fall in love and that’s it”. Not only that, but the handsome prince turns out to be the complete villain in the end. It is the rather more homely looking Kristoph who gets the girl when all is said and done – thus admonishing the trope that all good guys are automatically good looking. I mean, naturally both the princesses are stunning and Kristoph isn’t exactly a troll (even though he was raised by them) but hey… It’s a step in the right direction.

And then of course there is the matter of Elsa not having a beau. But then again, when you think about it, it isn’t so surprising. Not because of the rather obvious problems potentially caused by her uncontrolled powers either ; messages of true love surpassing all physical obstacles have been given under conditions that are more trying than these.  It was only when I was reading Disney’s “behind the scenes” snippets of the film when I realised that I put two and two together. Elsa is in fact the result of years of head scratching and wondering what to do with the actual Snow Queen in the fairy tale. I mean sure, you could make her your archetypal villain queen but Disney has an over-abundance of them and I mean look, it turns out they have been trying to make this film since the ‘40s for God’s sake they’re not going to wait 70 years just to do something they have done a million times over once again. The result? A very clever compromise and a way of making the film about sisterly love as opposed to romantic love. This too is part of a trend if you think about it – I mean Brave wasn’t about romantic love either, it was about mothers and daughters, I mean heck, romance didn’t even raise its head in Brave.  And I love the diversification of topics by the way. True it’s a rather small and conservative step (we have moved from spouses to family which isn’t exactly a gargantuan leap) but give it it’s due, we have moved. Better than nothing. But hang on, back to the matter of Elsa being single; you see where I’m coming from, right? I mean at the end of the day, in her origins Elsa is the villain – even though she is innocent in this version of the story – so we couldn’t really have her being rewarded just for learning to be good, right? Being good is the first step. If she is good for long enough, she will get a spouse. Anna has been good. She has been trapped in the palace for most of her life (Rapunzel anyone?) and yet kept her pure heart (and her sanity by the way. I mean excuse the spoiler but if I had lived the life Anna lived, I would have been either a psychopath or a gibbering idiot by 12. That said, her first social contact in decades and she is merely slightly awkward… Oh Disney…) and she even overcomes obstacles and makes sacrifices to save her sister. So she gets her reward.

Soo… Yeah. This IS, in fact a typical Disney film in a lot of ways. I mean fair enough, steps have been taken in all the right directions, but they are rather small steps. Still, as I have said before in this same post, they are steps. We have moved. And we can’t expect messages that are so entrenched and have proved such successful sales tools to change overnight. Basically, if you like Disney, you’ll like this. If you don’t, mark my words, you’ll still find the songs catchy. The film got the Oscar® for Best Music for a reason J

AND THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE FAMILY... ESPECIALLY THIS FAMILY... "DESPICABLE ME 2"

Phew, ok. Now, let’s try something a little happier, shall we? For all my “realism”, even I can’t abide 100% darkness the whole time. And when I say “let’s lighten things up a bit” I’m going all out. As we discussed above, the world can be a dark and scary place. Luckily we have things like family, laughter and more importantly animated movies to get us through the dark places…

I am deeply suspicious of sequels. I always have been. I strongly believe in leaving at the top of your game and all that. I know that the crew behind Despicable Me was good. But still… Good crews have tried other sequels and failed. This could have been the same. I mean it’s a good bet the kids would love it anyway but would we? The answer is yes. Yes, we would.

Gru and the crew are back. Although God only knows Gru didn’t want this. The plan was to give up “villaining” all together now and concentrate on legitimate business and family life- Gru does have three kids to raise now you know. How will they live? Well Dr Nefario and the minions are helping Gru develop a line of jams and jellies… It’s err… A work in process. But yeah. Sadly for Gru, his criminal talents are needed and they are needed urgently. There is a brand new super-criminal afoot and there is only one person the Anti Villain League can think of to help stop him: Gru! He takes a bit of convincing but Gru finally agrees to do “one last job”…  Coupled with the rather eccentric agent Lucy, Gru sets off to work saving the world once again. But what with teenage daughters and disappearing minions,  he may not quite have his mind on the job…

This is another one of those ones where I’m dying to literally tell you all about it but I don’t want to mess up any of the surprises. Suffice it to say that all our friends that we know and love are back and up to more tricks. The kids are as adorable as ever and Gru, not surprisingly, has got more of handle on parenting this time around. Look out for the minions – as if you needed telling – they have a considerably larger piece of the action this time around. I’m so glad they’re getting their own movie – aren’t you? Never fear, as you probably know, the rumours are in fact a reality. Check the end credits for this film if you don’t believe me J

So ok, I love Despicable me and I love the minions, but am I going to say “it’s perfect” and gloss it over? Well, no. I was a little upset that the series felt the need to “round off” Gru and the girls into a perfect family (oh come on. You KNEW Lucy was a love interest the moment I mentioned her. Don’t pull that face. You totally did). Having spent the larger part of my life growing up in a single-parent family I resented that a tiny bit. It’s a personal thing. I mean yes, of course having two parents is the ideal thing, no one can dispute that. But still, my point is single parent families do just fine thank you very much, they don’t necessarily need to be “rounded off” for the sake of being rounded off. But then again… I guess the film is more about love. And the fact that being a family doesn’t necessarily mean being blood relatives. The love comes, it brings people together and at the end of the day it even conquers “small details” like genetics. Which, I suppose, is also a worthy message. Ok yeah, it totally is. Besides it also puts out the message that love can come at any age etc. Gru is a “proper grown up” as opposed to the young 20-somethings (I can officially say that because the only two I’m getting in my age is on the far right from now on. Except if I live to a 120. Which is well… Unlikely.) finding love and settling down right at the beginning of “things”. So yeah. Actually a good mix of relevant real-life messages with your comedy. That’s exactly the kind of thing I like to see in a film. 

SOMETIMES, AT CHRISTMAS, YOU WANT TO SHAKE THINGS UP A BIT : "MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO"

Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. It has very little to do with the religious side of it. For as long as I remember my family has celebrated Christmas despite there being at least three different religions (not counting sub-divisions) and a whole slew of atheists in the mix. It’s an excuse to get together, eat, drink and exchange presents. I mean of course, all families are complicated and no doubt there is at least one family member you would have rather avoided until, oh I don’t know, next Christmas. Or the Christmas after that. But you have got to put those differences aside. It is the season of Peace and Love. And you just can’t get into fights over whether animated movies “count” or not over the dinner table – for some reason people seem to find it awkward…  Besides, it’s always good to not sweat the small stuff and let a bit of the season’s magic into your life. It has been a long year. It’s time to unplug and relax for a bit.

This is why I think that this film is, in a bizarre way, an ideal Christmas movie. It’s definitely for the whole family, it involves magic, wonder and all the good feelings you associate with Christmas. I mean ok, it’s an anime movie. Not what you would initially think of as a Christmas movie. But it is an anime classic, courtesy of Hayao Miyazaki, master of anime. Trust me, it’s worth giving a whirl. Let me try and convince you.

Satsuke and Mei  have just moved to the country. It’s a lovely old house with loads of nooks and crannies to explore. It’s a bit of a mixed bag as far as emotions go and the girls’ mother is very ill and has to be in hospital. But their Dad is doing his best to cheer them up and between exploring the surroundings and meeting their neighbours the girls have a lot to occupy their minds.  Speaking of neighbours, some of them are a little bit stranger than others. Satsuke isn’t quite sure what to make of her little sister’s claims of seeing a giant grey furry creature in the woods… But as time goes by she begins to realise that there are more to her little sisters’ claims than she initially thought… The question is what will happen when this magical world collides with the two sisters’ real world problems?

Now first of all, let me just say how happy I was to see this fellow on television as part of the Christmas season films! I love this huge international world we live in where cultural niblets from all over the world find their way into our living rooms. Granted, Miyazaki is about as big and international as it gets for anime; if you know one director it will probably be him and if you know one studio that specialises in anime it will be “his” studios – Ghibli. That said, I am confident that this may well be the first step of a voyage of discovery for some. Anime gets a bit of a bad rep. Well, sometimes this is justified. But come on, there are many “unsuitable” films out there – we don’t brand the entire film industry as “unsuitable” do we? My neighbour Totoro is a beautiful film with heart-warming characters that younger viewers with empathize with and that the “big kids” in the audience will simply adore. Just enough excitement and home again in time for tea. We have all the “trappings” of “big brand” animated entertainment but with some local flavour and a personal twist as opposed to the studio films we have grown to love but also anticipate down to the finest detail. I can personally guarantee this film will be a welcome addition to the film cabinet of anyone who wants to take a step away from the every day. A small step. But just enough J  

AND SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT RE-VISITING OLD FRIENDS: "TANGLED"

But of course Christmas is also about traditions. It’s about coming back to your roots (family meetings being a key personification of this fact) and all things being equal it’s about spending some family time, having way too much good food and having a bit of a rest at the end of the year before you embark on doing the whole thing all over again. It’s good to have familiar things around one at times like this. That’s why “Christmas films” is an entire genre; the themes are familiar but we watch them time and again and we all have our favourites we will never, ever tire of. That’s why we love Disney movies at Christmas time. And that’s why, much to my joy, there was a whole slew of re-runs on television of the year’s films. I had missed quite a few. Tangled was one of them. We all love our fairy tales right? That’s what Disney basically does – tell us fairy stories. What it has been very clever about doing though, is taking the classic fairy stories we all know and love and putting a spin on them. The stories keep up with the times, they fit in with the lives of the younger generations – lives a million miles apart from ours at their age. And yet, somehow, we all crowd round these films and enjoy them. Yes I am a massive fan of Disney. And Pixar.

Tangled is the story of a beautiful princess. When this princess was born, she had one magical quality : her hair. Her hair not only grew whenever she sang, it had the ability to heal and rejuvenate the people around her. The only pre-requisite is that the hair stays on the princess’ head as the moment it is cut, it loses its’ magic. Now of course this is an incredible resource for anyone – but a particularly wicked witch decides that she wants the hair all for herself. So the takes it. Princess and all. Having taken it/her as a baby she also has the time to make up a cover story. As far as Rapunzel is concerned the witch is her mother, the outside world is a very dangerous place – she has never left her isolated tower in her life – and her existence will be entirely lived out in that tower. Except, you know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men; so will go the witch’s plans. For all her conditioning and upbringing, Rapunzel still dreams of the outside world. This year she is turning 18 and despite all her mothers’ tactics she dreams of the outside world. And she is getting a little too big to be contained in the tower… However, for all her strength of character Rapunzel has never, ever lived in the outside world so she will need a guide. And she will get a guide in the shape of a passing rogue, Flynn Rider… But is the outside world all Rapunzel dreams of and more? Or is her “mother” actually right? Is she really simply too ill-equipped for the outside world?

I love what the film has done with the classic story of Rapunzel on so many levels. I mean, fairy stories have such a lot to work with though, don’t they? First of all, fairy stories only provide the bare essentials about their characters. No backstories, no actual character development, they are just dropped in fully formed and our imaginations have to do the rest of the work. This story gives Rapunzel a personality. And it is by no means perfect. I mean yes, she is a Disney princess so she has the “makings” of perfection (as it were), but to start with, she is far, far from it. On the outside world Rapunzel really struggles to cope. And like a lot of us who leave the safety of our family home to face the great “outdoors”, she has to grow up very quickly. This point is precisely why Tangled is so easy to empathize with. It is, essentially, about leaving home. A universal theme everyone can empathize with and we have all struggled with. For all the magical elements, the songs and comedy, it’s about taking those first faltering steps out of the nest… And the best part of it? This is a Disney fairy tale… So guaranteed happy ending in the end (oh come on, that’s not a spoiler). The film is, in short, a warm, relatable modern fairy tale. Our heroine is a Disney princess with just a spot of relatability (is that a word? It should be!) and it guarantees a new meeting with old friends – a bit like Christmas itself. 

THE DRAGON, THE WITCH AND THE SUBMARINE : "ATLANTIS"

And now a bit of Tv. Because, let’s be frank, we watch one heck of a lot of it. You know how I say you sometimes need to come back to a comfortable classic. Like comfort food. You don’t expect, nor indeed want it to be complicated, you want to be carried away by the story for an hour or so and rest your head from all the “adult world” related nonsense that is going around in it. You also need something like this, I discovered, when you’re in bed with the flu. Unable to get out of bed , go to sleep or do anything constructive for several days I found that I was in severe need of having my mind taken off things – which is where Atlantis came in.

Atlantis is one of the newer productions of the BBC and follows the fate of Jason (Jack Donnelly), a young man from the modern world whose father had got lost in an underwater expedition. Heading fearlessly down to unplumbed depths in a one-man submarine, Jason finds himself in another world. And by that, I do not mean the next one. I mean a mythical land where magic is real and ancient civilisation continues unabated without a touch of modernity and “all it brings”. Jason’s arrival in this magical land is not, however, mere coincidence. Not only does Jason have ties to this land that he never even knew existed, the fate and happiness of many people rest on his shoulders. The question is, can he be the hero Atlantis needs him to be?

Now, first of all let me just say how much I love this series. For those of my generation, guys, it’s basically Narnia for adults. Only it’s for adults and kids – or at least younger audiences. It’s definitely family friendly – which is welcome news for any Game of Thrones fans with young ones. This is definitely one you can sit down and watch all together. Jason is every bit the shining hero and his faithful sidekicks (I’ll let you discover them in your own time haha) are both hilarious and endearing.  If you want to go on an adventure from the safety of your sofa without the added trauma of worrying about your favourite character getting killed off – this one is for you folks. This is goodies vs baddies pure and simple. And I don’t mean this as a bad thing.

Another point I would like to make is, credit where it is due, when you watch the six episodes aired thus far, you can clearly see the writing improve in leaps and bounds. Now come on, enough with that frown, just because I like something, it doesn’t mean I’m not going to point out its faults if I see any. And besides, at this particular point I’m saying it overcame a fault. I couldn’t help noticing the sheer mass of “exposition” going on in the first couple of episodes. You know those scenes where two characters have a lengthy conversation about something and have the sole purpose of providing information for the viewer before you take the next step in the story proper. Now, these are useful but more often than not, an able director can easily weave information into the story itself without taking a step away from it for what we might call a short “instructive video”. Atlantis suffers from a bit of a “public information video” syndrome in its first episodes but credit where it’s due the writing is getting a lot tighter in the latter ones and the story is advancing at a really good pace.

Then again, bizarrely, for a series that had too much exposition at one point, Atlantis does leave quite a few serious plot points unanswered. I mean, come on. I know we’re not actually meant to take our focus off Jason the shining hero but we don’t even know WHAT his father was doing in a sub in the first place? Geology? Zoology? Biology? Testing the sub? Oh and incidentally, Jason is in his early 20s so what exactly are his qualifications to be allowed to take a submarine down on a mission that probably cost the life of an experienced crew member BY HIMSELF? Fine, fair enough, these are all “modern world” problems, we can overlook them. (*SPOILER ALERT – skip to the next paragraph now to avoid it). My other major “thing” is Jason’s superpowers. Oh by the way yeah, in this world, he has superpowers – kind of. Very little is made of them and what they really are – ok fair enough it adds surprise value, kind of puts us on a par with Jason who had no idea he had superpowers either or what exactly they are. But come episode 6, not only has Jason not learnt anything new about their origin or extent (unless he knows something we don’t) – he has completely adapted to them and uses them unquestioningly. I don’t know about you but I’d be freaking out. Big time.

And speaking of adapting (and if you "skipped here, take my word for it, I was), ok, he has ties to this land, he’s not just anyone he is special, he has a destiny but I mean, is it realistic that he has completely adapted to a world with no electricity, running water, phones, cars or heck, even jeans when he was manning a submarine (so I assume some form of engineer at the very least) a matter of hours ago? There is SO MUCH potential for comic relief right there – and it only gets used briefly in the first half of episode one. Not that the series lacks in comic relief. Pythagoras and Hercules (Robert Emms and Mark Addy respectively) are positively hilarious - but you know… Adding a slightly unsure Jason to the mix would be the cherry on the top.

I totally get what they are trying to do with Jason though; he is the “shining hero” that can do no wrong. Precisely the kind of hero you want when you’re in bed with the flu or after a long, hard slog at the office. But, for those who have watched it, admit it, wasn’t it refreshing to watch him fumble over his words and knock things over as he tried to impress Ariadne? Would it not have been awesome to have him develop slowly into a full-fledged and magnificent hero by the end of the season as opposed to having him “express grown” by the end of episode one? A bit of character development, methinks, would not have gone amiss.

I mean, let’s give the series its due. It’s not over yet. There may be reasonable explanations to all of this. In fact, I may to a re-cap when the series has ended. Trust me I’ll be in a good position to make the judgement. Because I don’t intend to miss a single, solitary episode. 

"MONSTERS UNIVERSITY" BECAUSE SOMETIMES,YOU JUST HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL...

I was REALLY looking forward to this one. You all have probably figured out by now that I’m a bit of as sucker for Pixar. I… Ok, yes, it’s unprofessional but what can I say. I’m a fan. I’m positively biased. That is not to say I wasn’t a tad bit worried about Monsters University. I mean, come on, a prequel? It feels a little bit like scratching the bottom of the barrel to me. There are absolutely quillions of talented screenwriters out there, surely, if we wanted to revisit Mike and Sullivan, our friendly duo from way back when, an imaginative “new development” could be found. That being said, I simply had to check it out. I mean, it was a rainy afternoon, I had nothing in particular to do, Pixar monsters seemed to me the perfect thing to cheer me up. At the very least I could b.tch about them on the blog later, which would definitely cheer me up.

Hence, here we hurtle back through time and universes to see how the “dream team” of Mike and Sullivan all began. I couldn’t help but giggle to realise they were taking the whole prequel thing very seriously. Because we start tracking Mike at around, if I’m not much mistaken, primary school. But no worries – it’s completely relevant. It is at this early age that Mike decides he wants to be a “scarer”. You know, the most prestigious and brave monsters around, who ventured into the human world and collected “scream energy” to power the whole world. Thing is, Mike looks a little too much like a tennis ball on legs to be considered scary(at this particular point, he is a very small tennis ball on legs with braces). So um, how can I put this… He is not considered to have the most realistic aspirations in the world. That said, he works his socks off, does not give in and lo and behold, he makes it into the prestigious “scare programme” in Monsters University. Now, a lot of us know how going on to university, moving away from the small town to follow your dreams may seem like the end of all the problems we ever had – Mike definitely thinks so. And if the worse comes to the worse, he has always been a swat, he has his trusty textbooks to get him though… Right?

Ok, first of all, all Pixar fans out there can heave a sigh of relief. It is everything a Pixar movie always promises to be. Perfect accompaniment to a rainy, grey afternoon, your favourite blankie and a touch too much chocolate. It’s a bright burst of imagination full of good-natured adventure and humour, and tons of laughs, delicately placed throughout the story. You’ll love it. You can take your little one or younger sibling to see it with a clear conscience. Unless you are categorically exhausted, you are very probably not going to fall asleep watching this one (that being said, Mom actually fell asleep watching Star Wars… Need I say more?).

Like I said, this is classic Pixar. That being said, is it a Pixar classic? Hmm. I’m not that sure. I mean yeah, sure, every film has a “underlying message”. In  this particular case there are several. I especially applaud the open call to not necessarily rely on “book learning” to achieve your dreams. There is also the very Hollywood trope of “disparate characters coming together as a team” (and with Monsters as a template they REALLY went wild on the disparate characters) and, just to counterbalance the first point I mentioned, not relying on natural talent and working with it to truly achieve your dreams.  Now, I am not saying films shouldn’t have such social messages. Especially since the target audience is the younger generation. But, you know, quite apart from adults watching it too, kids today are pretty damn smart. I think Monsters University borders on the “public information film” fine line with this one. I don’t know, maybe it’s me getting jaded, but it was all way too close to the surface for my liking. Think, for example, of Up!. Now that was one heck of a film. Priceless too. Yet with that famous opening sequence that has made grown men cry. With that, the adults are just hooked. Lost love is such a common theme in a lot of lives – if not necessarily by death – we end up rooting for him all the way through the film. But when you strip away the finery it’s actually the story of a hardened, jaded character “rediscovering life”. I mean, step back and squint a little it could actually be A Christmas Tale. I mean theme-wise. Clearly there were no ghosts in Up!,  Yet, like I said, you don’t notice it at all unless if you think about it. And you can make monsters as colourful as you please, it is THIS kind of imagination in the storyline that gets my pulse racing these days. I mean, it’s not like kids didn’t love Up!. Come on, talking dogs! The cone of shame! What more do you want? Like I said, I reckon we should give the younger generation a tad bit more credit. I mean, admit it, they’re way better with gadgets. I reckon they can easily handle a film.  

"WRECK-IT RALPH" - BECAUSE A CHANGE IS AS GOOD AS A REST

Aah the arcade. I wonder when that one is going to bite the dust completely. Or perhaps it already has bitten the dust? Not quite sure. I have never been too much of a gamer. I do remember having a ting, pokey little arcade at the top of the hill we lived on though. I always loved the idea of going there – yearned to, in fact – but Mom was adamant. I guess it was for the best. I’m pretty sure the deprivation is not the source of any psychological problems, so there you go. Anyway. It’s funny really, just because the film was released recently, one automatically assumes it is set in the present day, though of  course there is nothing preventing it from being set a few decades back… God I’m on a good old ramble tonight, aren’t I? Don’t be mad. It’s all related to the film in hand. Sort of.

Well, whenever it may or may not be said, Wreck-it Ralph is set in a universe where at least one arcade in particular is still going strong. Sure, there are daily concerns about “work” and survival – if your game goes “out of order” or you’re too unpopular, you get the plug pulled on you and you have nowhere to go – but basically, the show must go on. In this particular case, the show is the game.

Now we all know that every story needs to have a villain but Ralph, the particular villain of the story, is not really happy with his lot. He doesn’t want much, just a friend or two, and maybe a decent place to live that is not a dump. A literal dump. His fellow characters tell him to just embrace who he is and “get on with it” as it were. However, one day, Ralph simply has enough. And as anyone who is familiar with the game knows – he has a bit of a temper on him. An argument with his fellow game characters ends in a wager of sorts: if Ralph can win a medal of some sorts, they will let him come and live in the big house. Thing is, in this game, Ralph can’t win a medal. The solution seems simple enough to Ralph: find another game to win a medal in. However, as you can imagine, as Ralph moves from game to game in search of his medal, every move he makes has unforeseen and sometimes disastrous consequences. Let’s hope Ralph turns out to be as good at fixing things as he is at wrecking them…

First of all, I need to commend Disney on this one. But then again, they have been at this business for a while, so they sure know how to mix ‘em, as it were. It is the perfect blend of adult content vs. being suitable for younger viewers. I mean, if nothing else, seeing the arcade games alone should put a warm fuzzy feeling into the heart of any red blooded gamer. And shall I tell you something, even if you’re not a gamer. Anyone who knows me knows I’m no gamer by any definition of the word but even I saw stuff I recognised. If you were even remotely into arcades – you’re going to love it. Trust me.

I was ranting and raving in my post just above about the messages and stuff in the film. Let’s have a gander at this one. Basically, the film tells us, you can actually be happy where you are (oh come on, that’s not a spoiler. You totally knew that was the way it was going). It’s all about changing your attitude. Oh and keeping lines of communication open. It’s all very recession – politics. I mean think about it, the usual message is that if you work hard enough, you can change everything. The film gently reminds us that sometimes, we don’t need to. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think this is a bad message at all, but after all the economic turbulence we have been through lately, I really thought the message was quite poignant. Very make do and mend. And of course, it’s not like some things don’t change rather drastically. In fact, true blue Hollywood, there is a love interest thingy going on in there (whereby a typically “masculinised” single woman is “feminised” by love – but the relationship has so much comic value, I can actually forgive them for that. Besides, don’t sharpen your claws too much ladies, I don’t want to give too much away, but let me just say there is the idea of a female president floating around in that movie too. I like that idea. I really do =)

RECAPTURE THE MAGIC ON "THE POLAR EXPRESS"

I know. We’re in august. It is in no way, shape or form near to Christmas. But what can I tell you, it was a tiring day. I know I ranted and raved about realism and happy endings in the last post but it really wasn’t a “realism” and “minimalism” kinda evening. I had had a little too much of that in my day already. What I needed was to settle down and be transported to a world where I knew everything would turn out alright in the end. Preferably a magical world – I needed it to be as far from “reality” as possible. This may be the main reason I gravitated towards a Christmas film, I’m not exactly sure. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that if you have had that kind of day, or alternately if it's actually Christmas and you want a seasonal film that you don’t watch every day, this is the fella for you.

Now, this is quite a modern little number. Not only is it made, in its entirety, in computer animation but it adopts the rather cool “anonymous hero” stance. Our hero is a little boy. He is just approaching that age when the magic is about to leave his world. And the exodus of magic has begun with father Christmas. The little boy wants to believe, but everything around him seems to be telling him loud and clear that there is no such thing as Santa. So that Christmas eve, when he closes his eyes and pretends to sleep, trying to catch Santa out as he does every year, deep down inside he doesn’t have much hope of it happening. Until he hears something quite extraordinary going up his street. A train. The magical Polar Express has come to take him on a journey… After all, anything is possible on Christmas Eve…

I think Christmas and New Year bring out the “mushiest” in us because they are much like the ends of long, tiring days. Just like a particularly rough day at the office, a whole year has gone by. You are tired. You want to see your loved ones and rest your brains – and bones. You have had reality by the bucket-load. You want good feelings, a hearty meal a drink or three and a few days off… Surely you see the parallels? That’s why films like this go so well with Christmas.

Of course one has to remember that this film was made in 2004 – which is “way back when” by technological terms. I feel that the storyline would benefit a lot from a big special effects overhaul. Heck, it could even be a combination of CGI and real actors as opposed to a “cartoon” from beginning to end. I’m not completely nuts about big explosions and fight scenes with magical weapons but magical lands… You’ll always get my heartstrings with that one. Especially at the end of tiring day.

But the thing is,  will it ever be a classic? I’m not that sure. I think the problem is, the story is sweet but the message is slightly outdated. In complete opposition to the previous film, we are encouraged to “believe” in this one. And we all know kids today. They are just as likely as us to smile at that message understandingly and with an air of superiority. It’s sad really, but I wonder how many kids today really believe in Father Christmas? We live in an era where mothers quiet their crying toddlers by giving them their smartphones and tablets to play with. The tiny tots can browse better than we can and I find that scary seeing that hooking up the printer ended up becoming a major challenge for me. I am yet to purchase a smartphone – or a tablet. And of course it’s great that children have so much knowledge at their fingertips so quickly. It is also great that we live in an era of science where we know more about the world around us than ever before. Still, must this mean that all sense of “magic” must be knocked out of children at as early an age as possible? The jury is out in my opinion. I mean, I’m an adult, and I physically need magic and fantasy in my world. It’s computer generated magic, that I grant you, but given the realities of this world… I reckon it will do… 

THESE FELLAS NEED NO INTRODUCTION : "WALLACE AND GROMMIT – THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT"

I do not know a single person in the UK who doesn’t let out an exclamation of delight at the mere mention of Wallace and Grommit. I’m not entirely sure how well they travel but here they are almost universally adored. I mean, I’m sure there are some “haters” out there somewhere, stop-motion animation is not everyone’s cup of tea (or so I am told. I don’t see how this is possible but you know… It takes all sorts…). But the humour, the characters, the sheer imagination involved in the series combined with the decidedly British sense of humour… You can’t beat it. You really can’t. Not in this neck of the woods anyway. That’s why I have always thought a proper “film” (as in feature length) of the series was long overdue. Now, I know that this one has been around for quite some time, but just never got round to watching it until recently. I was later surprised to discover a few friends of mine who hadn’t heard of it at all. Hence, here is my review of it ASAP. This is definitely one you NEED to know about.

We return to the world of Wallace and Grommit, in their same old house in the same sleepy little town. As we all know by now, the professions of this gruesome twosome tend to change from episode to episode however, and the flavour of the week is humane pest control. You see, this particular little town is very much into its gardening but as it so happens it also has a big problem with rabbits – who aren’t, as you probably know, very conducive to gardening. But never fear, Wallace and Grommit will not only safeguard your garden, they guarantee that no fluffy bunnies are harmed in the process. You may, at this point, be asking yourself what exactly they do with the bunnies once they are caught. That, my friends, is the 64 million dollar question. Wallace and Grommit do not, as such, quite know what to do with them either. But they are under a tad bit of pressure to figure something out fast, not least because the annual giant vegetable competition is approaching. The entire town will be participating, as usual, and the last thing anyone wants is an outbreak of rabbits. Wallace, always the inventor, does not despair and continues trying to work something out. It is during these endeavours that the duo unwittingly unleash “the curse of the were rabbit”. As if normal rabbits were not causing enough trouble…

What I like the most about Wallace and Grommit is that it is, to my mind, one of the best examples of family-friendly fun. And having, alongside the brilliant Peter Sallis, a constant of the show, names like Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes lending their voices to the characters only improves matters – if that were at all possible.  I know what everyone is always saying these days about children growing up so fast and not being as “naïve” as we were when we were their age but still. Given half a decent chance, audiences of literally ALL ages could enjoy Wallace and Grommit. Like a lot of good animations, the adult “in-jokes” are there, kept at a “decent” level, but providing not a few giggles along the way as you go. Besides, it is really what Wallace and Grommit is all about. It’s almost a sort of return to a more innocent time a bit pastoral, small town life and all that.  A return, brought rather smartly up to date with the fact that Wallace is the archetypal “absent-minded inventor” along with your typical country bumpkin. How do these two co-exist? If you don’t already know, it’s high time you found out…

For the fans, I’m delighted to tell you that this film is everything we know and love about Wallace and Grommit. I believe it was last week that I was mentioning how it’s good to have some “comfort films” close to hand where you know exactly what you’re about to see and in fact are watching it BECAUSE you know what you are about to see as it were. And this film is filled to the brim with the Wallace and Grommit type humour we all know and love by the bucked load. I don’t want to give too much in the way of the storyline away, simply because I was completely blindsided by, shall we say, a development in the story, providing the perfect surprise mid-way.

In short, if you’re a Wallace and Grommit fan, you will love it. And if you’re not a fan, well, this might be the day you become one. I promise you, you won’t regret it.  

A BLAST FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD - WELL, MINE ANYWAY : "FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF"

Oh my God. I have rarely had so much regret flooding through me as I watched a film. Regret that I hadn’t watched this film much, much earlier. No effing wonder this film is such a favourite with so many people from my own generation. I never saw it. It didn’t get much of an airing over in Turkey. But hey, I’ve seen things like it and I LOVED them all. This is why, although as I watched this film for the first time there was no doubt in my mind at all that I had grown out of it a while back, neither could I actually turn it off. Classic of a certain era. Definitely.

Ferris Bueller is a high school wise guy. He may only be a senior, but he knows every trick in the book and he can play his unsuspecting parents and teachers like a fiddle, much to the annoyance of his sister Genie. When one of the first, beautiful, warm days of summer finally dawns on the town, there is no question whatsoever of Ferris going to school and wasting it. So it’s a day off. And if he has a day off, so does his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron. Despite the protests of the highly strung Cameron, off they go into town, in no less than Cameron’s father’s prize, antique red Ferrari. But even with Ferris’ seemingly never-ending luck there are enemies to defeat. The school headmaster – Ferris’ arch-nemesis - parents popping up in odd places and an interfering sister. Kids sometimes really do just want to have fun… But how much can Ferris really get away with?

You recognise the type of humour, right? It’s the exact same genre as the Home Alone series starring Macaulay Culkin.  Charming, wise-cracking kid versus bumbling parents. The kid being ingenious, winning out in every situation, “getting the girl in the end” as it were. Well, not in the Home Alone series to be fair. But you get the picture. I mean, of course Ferris has a girlfriend who “tags along” – how could he be such a popular high-school student if he didn’t – but of course the “bumbling best friend” trope is also used, for comedy and as a chaperone. Hey, come on people, it was 1986, they still had standards of that sort back in the day.

Ok, so this film is not for anyone who is looking for a “serious cinematic experience”. In fact, if you are watching it for the first time in your late 20s – early 30s or later, you know what, you are a tad too late. Oh you will love it though. It reminds you of so many things from way back when you were tiny. Not less how little it took to make us happy and entertain us back in the day. Even though I am not that old, I feel a clear generation gap between myself and people a mere ten years younger than me. (I mean, I had a fascinating conversation with colleagues about ten years younger than me who told me they all had difficulty using watches. Phones were easier because they “told you the time right away”. If you had a watch you had to stop and think what time it was. Imagine their shock when they saw my watch, one of those super-minimalist numbers with no numbers on the face. As a side note, I have since taken to showing them the watch and telling them to figure it out if they ask me the time. I know, I’m annoying. ). So there you go. A time capsule from a rather underrated period of time – late eighties – early nineties. A must see for anyone with ties to that period. If nothing else, as you just saw, it’s the perfect excuse for a good rant.   

Note : Yes, that IS a young Charlie Sheen in the police station :)    

AN ADVENTURE WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: "THE HOBBIT : AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY"

I am not going to even pretend to be objective about this one. I, like many other diehard fans, have been waiting for it for a long, long time. Like a lot of said fans, I watched the film within days of it being released to cinemas. I intend to see it a few more times. The same way I did with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. So if you’re expecting an honest critique of Peter Jackson’s cinema, boy oh boy are you at the wrong post. Oh come on. Be a love. I am brutally honest in a lot of stuff I write. I’m allowed to rant and rave about a film or two. Besides, at the end of the day, who can say their opinions are completely objective? We are all shaped by our own personal experiences in life and have our own subjectivities and… Yeah. You get the picture ;)

So, this, as you know (probably) is the first film in the trilogy that will make up The Hobbit trilogy. I am not about to tell you the story in complete and utter detail, the chances are you already know it off by heart (ehm) or  don’t mind just finding out at the cinema when the time comes (in which case, I really don’t know what to do with you). Basically, The Hobbit is the story of the discovery of the Ring that will form the backbone of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is the story of Bilbo Baggins (played by Martin Freeman, one of my favourite actors EVER) who first went on an “unexpected adventure”. The main aim was to help a dwarf prince and his loyal band reclaim their fatherland. This, as you can imagine, is not a straight forward matter to start with. But then, just as they finally escape the lair of the Orcs, a mysterious ring makes its way into Bilbo’s possession. The first film leaves off at this point, but as you know, this is the sinister beginning of a whole different can of worms.

I can promise you one thing. I have heard this from complete novices to the franchise and from purists much stricter than myself alike: it just flies by. Logic coupled with all the time measurement devices known to man tell us we have almost spent three hours watching the film. I would happily watch a second Hobbit film at least that long without stopping. The story combined with the effects creates a universe so engrossing that you are just sucked in. It is a wonderful opportunity for escapism for all my fantasy junkies. And this is also a brilliant opportunity to get introduced to the genius of Tolkein if you haven’t already done it.

Cinematically of course, Peter Jackson is completely and utterly the man for the job. He is the number one name I think of when I think of epics, films on a grand scale. People criticise him about a lot, from being shallow to combining and mismatching concepts. I think, although some of the criticisms may have a foundation, he is overall a brilliant entertainer. And this is why he has done such an amazing job with The Hobbit. And of course, the acting. Martin Freeman is getting a bit typecast I feel, as the “everyman” that, bewildered and quite unwilling, gets pulled into an unbelievable adventure. But I also feel that this ability to portray this role “makes” a lot of films too. Think about it, who is he representing as this “everyman” swept off his feet? Why, us of course! The audience! The people who, quite literally, walked in off the street to watch the film. Suddenly, we are grabbed out of our everyday lives and immersed in a world of fantasy. Now, our immersion is metaphorical (or psychological. Not sure which concept goes better to be honest) and Mr Freeman is often, if not always, physically immersed in his adventures. But he reacts exactly in the way we probably would have. And having such a wonderful “representation” of ourselves on the screen in front of us immerses us in the film even further.

And lastly, but my no means least; I cannot possibly close this entry without saying a word or two about the AMAZING Sir Ian McKellan. I read somewhere while the film was still in production, that Sir Ian actually broke down and cried from frustration on one of the sets because he was actually the only “live” person in the scenes and he had to act with a lot of his companions being represented by tennis balls on sticks, later to be “converted” into real people. I read in the comments to this article that “oh he’s old, he should “get with the new generation”.  Oh I could not disagree more. His true talent lies in his ability to adapt and change. It seems he was frustrated; he was pushed to his limits. Yet in the finished product, he is Gandalf as we all know him. He pulled it off. Could a younger actor be so versatile? I doubt it. This kind of thing does have a serious amount of experience involved. So the moral of the story is people, don’t be ageist. Respect your elders.

But first, if you haven’t already, PLEASE go see The Hobbit. It is definitely an adventure you will not forget in a hurry. 

LET THE BATTLE OF THE TITANS COMMENCE : "SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS"

I have been waiting for this film for SO long. I love the new take on Sherlock Holmes. To be absolutely honest, I believe I do prefer the Benedict Cumberbach version of him better though. You know, the series. Are they doing any more of those by the way? If yes, when? I definitely should check on that. But in the meanwhile, let us return to the film in hand. Now, before, Holmes was the epitome of the old-fashioned hero. Strong, manly, spoke little, went straight to the point when he did and was a complete gentleman in all other ways besides. This Holmes is a brilliant mind and a brilliant detective, however also childish, selfish and possible manic-depressive. I also love the new Watson, who has his own character and personality (albeit he finds it hard to assert them when Holmes is around – but this is understandable). Gone is the bumbling doctor, whose main duty in life was to ask dumb questions at the right time so the reader could grasp the intricacies of the plot. This Watson (especially since he happens to have the body of Jude Law), is a force to be reckoned with.

And Holmes simply cannot do without him.  Watson finds this out much to his distress after his wedding, because even on their honeymoon, Holmes cannot seem to leave them alone.  Not only does he burst in on them, oh no, he brings a foray of disaster and assassins with him. This, however, may be a slightly unfair on Holmes. Not least because he is not so much pestering Watson as saving his life and the life of his bride. The reason they have assassins after them however is because Holmes has finally met his match:  An arch-villain whose intellect and genius may well actually match up to that of Holmes, Professor James Moriarty. And Watson just happens to be Holmes’ Achilles heel.  Moriarty’s aim however, reaches far beyond messing with Holmes and Watson. He has his sights set on the control of all of Europe, possibly the entire world. And Holmes is the only person capable of figuring out that he is behind all these machinations, much less stop him…

I love this series. So much so that even though a purist would say that Holmes should die and stay dead after his fight with Moriarty (oh come on. You knew that. I cannot believe you haven’t actually read the books. Shame on you.  No, really.) Anyway, the point is, I don’t care. You may have figured out by now, I am a sucker for anyone and anything that makes me laugh. Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious. I’m talking belly laughs, clapping and stomping on the floor. His interaction with Watson is perfect (as I outlined a tad in the first paragraph). The action sequences and effects are both spectacular and exciting. And the storyline is both complex and imaginative, just as a Holmes – Moriarty story should be. Oh and if you think about it, you could argue it asks serious political questions about things going on behind the scenes in any given conflict. But it is so well done; you don’t necessarily need to think about it, if you see what I mean. It’s there if you want to. Very unobtrusive yet fully there. Yet, if you just want to watch a funny and brilliant movie and not “think” about anything in particular, well you can do that too. It all depends on what you want from your evening’s entertainment – and this baby pretty much has everything you could need… 

YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF SUPERHERO : "IRON MAN 2"

This is typical me, it needs to be said. I literally jumped in and watched this anyway, because it was convenient more than anything else. I had no prior knowledge of the series; I hadn’t even watched the first film. It had Robert Downey Jr. in it. It was a superhero movie. Oooh it has been nominated for the special effects Oscar®. That was just about the sum-total of my knowledge of the film. What can I say; I’m not always the epitome of professional conduct when it comes to my film watching habits. In the end, I had to put it in the blog. And just hope that there were enough nutcases like me who just dive into the middle of a series with no rhyme or reason. Or, alternately, have watched the first film already and don’t really care that I haven’t.

Having invented the Iron Man suit, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has literally become the personification of peace on earth. “Peace is privatized” he announces proudly and the press lap it up. He already has riches, now he has worldwide fame and the kind of adulation only a super hero can have. He is, both seemingly and actually, an eccentric and slightly egocentric businessman that does whatever he damn well likes without regard to too much else, so all this suits him just fine. The long suffering Pepper Potts (Gwenyth Paltrow) does her best to keep him in line and to keep his company from going under completely. But under this perfect veneer there is trouble brewing. Both the government and Stark’s rivals will stop at nothing in their plotting to get their hands on the suit. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a rather brilliant Russian physicist is not only out to get Stark but is possibly the only person with the brains and the technical capability to bring him down. Then there is the small matter of finding a replacement for the “core” that keeps Stark alive. As in, Stark has failed to find one. And he is desperately low on cartridges…

Now, this is the kind of Hollywood film I really do love. I mean yes, we know that Pepper Potts and Tony Stark will get together in the end. Yes, Tony Stark will defeat the bad guys. But Tony Stark is far from your average squeaky clean super hero. I love superheroes with attitude problems, especially if they are acted by actors as successful as Robert Downey Jr. In fact, after having seen his success in Sherlock Holmes in a very similar role, I am beginning to suspect that he is not so much acting but just being himself (a bit like a modern Clint Eastwood if you will). No matter though, he is just too funny. The comedy value alone would, in fact, make the film a joy to watch.

But then, there are the special effects. I honestly don’t know what I think of the whole school of thought whereby people go to films solely for the special effects. I am not one of these people. But every now and then, I enjoy a good show. And come on, even if you are all French New Wave, Godard and Truffaut when it comes to films, you have to admit that a good, old fashioned action flick is really, really fun. Especially if it makes you actually laugh outloud. And go “Ooooh!” at the special effects. I’d try to get this in blu-ray if poss. And I’d watch it with the sound blaring. And popcorn. If I had my way that is. Just saying. 

A SEQUEL 30 YEARS IN THE MAKING : "THE SNOWMAN AND THE SNOWDOG"

Anyone living in the UK knows that this one had to make the cut this week. Ok, it isn’t technically a film, heck it’s only 23 minutes long actually. But it’s a Christmas tradition. We have waited for the sequel for nigh on 30 years. Admittedly, back in the day when I first watched it I was actually traumatized by The Snowman. Not because the snowman melted. Because in my mind, somehow, the snowman actually abducted the child – heck, I was relieved he melted! The fact that I was terrified of heights even back in those days when I was knee-high to a grasshopper wouldn’t have contributed to my enjoyment of the flight scenes. But all the same. Come on, this is a historical moment peeps.

Now, this is usually the point at which I tell you what the story is about. But, fair warning, we got into an extremely heated family discussion as to what the premise of the story was. I, therefore, missed a large part of the first five minutes. But I will try and reflect my school of thought. There are several opposing schools of thought (yes, every detail matters, we're that kind of family). And naturally I’m not checking this online. I am confident in my film analysis abilities. So there. (Edit: Just before posting this update I actually did a Google search: YES it is the ORIGINAL HOUSE with a DIFFERENT boy. In case anyone who participated in the afore-mentioned heated discussion is reading). 

The story takes place in the original house of the snowman. Only it is years later and there is a new family living there now. The little boy of the family is about the same age as our original hero, although it’s all a bit sad in that his beloved dog has just died. Anyway, one day, when playing in his room, he discovers the old box where the original snowman’s things along with a picture of said snowman and our original hero are kept. Our current hero likes this idea and next time it snows, makes a snowman with said materials. He then goes on to construct a snow dog in memory of his beloved  dog.  Lo and behold, on the stroke of midnight the snowman comes alive – and so does the “snow dog”! . Let the festivities begin J

Ok, one thing. They have changed the soundtrack. They actually axed “walking in the air”. There are several music professionals in the family whose professional opinion it is that they should have at least done variations on the theme as they flew over the city. Apart from that though, it’s spot on. I feel that following the original style of animation was absolutely the right call. And even though, I mean, naturally there is nothing wildly original about it, it is just a warm, fuzzy bundle of joy to watch.

One alarming thing I learnt about myself though is that I actually have now got into the rather antisocial habit of  blurting out the ends of films – or rather my predictions of them – which these days often turn out to be right (ehm ehm. Not to blow my own trumpet or anything.) I did the self-same thing and somehow amazed the family at the end of this one as well. I would normally jot down being able to predict the end of the film as an actual minus, but in this case… Well. We’re watching it because it’s a classic folks, not for its originality value. Merry Christmas. 

"HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON" AND OTHER CAUTIONARY TALES

Ok, wow. I appear to have stumbled on a modern classic in the making. Not only did this one make the IMDB Top 250, it was nominated for 2 Oscars® and a plethora of other awards besides. I really, truly can see why. I mean yes, it is an animation, it is definitely a film suited for children but on the level of artistic work and on the level of the message it gives, it is one of the most surprising films I have seen in a while.

So, meet Hiccup (voice of Jay Baruchel). Hiccup is a viking. As such, he is expected to be a fearless warrior, loud, athletic and good at killing things. These are all necessary qualities to have where Hiccup lives as his village is on a small island in the middle of the sea. And said small island is plagued with… Dragons.  Dragon killing is now quite a prestigious job, and Hiccup is the son of the village chief so technically he should be going straight for it only… Hiccup is puny. He cannot take orders. And is much better at inventing, fixing machinery and the like. He isn’t completely “off topic” as it were though, as he also invents a machine for catching dragons. No one believes him at first. And even when the machine works and a dragon is caught, no one but Hiccup is there to witness it. But then something strange happens. Hiccup fully intends to kill the dragon and bring its head back to the village to prove he isn’t a complete waste of time. The thing is… He can’t bring himself to. The dragon is injured and cannot fly and these two outcasts begin making friends. As Hiccup learns more and more about his dragon, he begins to suspect that there is another way to cope with the island’s “dragon problem”. The thing is, can he convince his entire village to try his method?

Now, I love this film. I love it because of the messages it gives children. The message here is twofold. One, the most obvious, is not (as classical videogames would have it) to automatically go about killing something that is different from you but to try and learn more about it. Observe, understand, “make friends”. It encourages children to look for the peaceful way out even in the most unpromising looking situations. I mean come on, with the recent exception of Shrek, how many stories has the dragon been the good guy in? Ok, there was Narnia – but that was a while ago, what else? Exactly. So moral? Even the bad guys with the worst reputation can be understood and maybe even turned around from their evil ways. Don’t assume. Think first.

Secondly, ok, Hiccup is the typical “outcast” character. You know, bookish, not physically fit, bad at fighting, all that. It isn’t exactly uncommon for films to encourage the young to follow their hearts against societal pressure but they rarely encourage them to actually stand up to the order of society and change it if they feel something is wrong. I mean, not only is that basic message brilliant in itself, in this story a single person CAN make a difference. With nothing less than scientific observation to actually back him up – as opposed to magic or some other deus ex machine. Isn’t that something? I think you should get your little ones sat down in front of this asap. They will both enjoy and learn.