Review #36 | Cinderella

I think there are movies that just disagree with my body unlike other people. It just doesn't work well. Although I consider Cinderella to be a fine movie, it just never had an appeal to me.

Cinderella, 1950

Cinderella was Walt Disney's return to feature-length "story" cartoons after eight years of turning out episodic pastiches like Make Mine Music and Three Caballeros. A few understandable liberties are taken with the original Charles Perrault fairy tale (the wicked stepsisters, for example, do not have their eyes pecked out by crows!) Otherwise, the story remains the same: Cinderella, treated as a slavey by her selfish stepfamily, dreams of going to the Prince's ball. She gets her wish courtesy of her Fairy Godmother, who does the pumpkin-into-coach bit, then delivers the requisite "be home by midnight" warning. Thoroughly enchanting the prince at the ball, our heroine hightails it at midnight, leaving a glass slipper behind. The Disney people do a terrific job building up suspense before the inevitable final romantic clinch. Not as momentous an animated achievement as, say, Snow White or Fantasia, Cinderella is a nonetheless delightful feature, enhanced immeasurably by the introduction of several "funny animal" characters (a Disney tradition that has held fast into the 1990s, as witness Pocahontas), and a host of a sprightly songs, including "Cinderelly," "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," and -- best of all -- "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo."

Cinderella is mildly fun in my opinion and the songs less memorable than other Disney movies. The animation is not as beautiful as Snow White, for the colors used in this movie were so simple. The characters are neither memorable nor entertaining.

It does have its own charms and the story has a significant message. I’ll have to add that the ‘King’ was actually quite funny. All in all, I bet it could have been made better.

Inside Outside Rating: 61%

The Untitled Smurfs Movie Pushed Back a Year

Previously this year Sony Pictures Animation announced what actually was supposed to be The Smurfs 3 to be wholly animated. Well, now we've got the news that it won't be a sequel or a prequel but something new and original. Director, Kelly Asbury, noted that the reason to moving the date was to deliver better quality movie and I am sure that this is what the movie needs.

Untitled Smurfs Movie, 2016 

Read what Kelly Asbury said via Smurfs Blog Production:

I’m happy to report that I’ve gotten confirmation from Sony Pictures Entertainment that my UNTITLED SMURFS MOVIE has a new release date: it will be coming out internationally in July 2016 and in the USA on August 5, 2016, one year later than originally planned when this project was initially conceived as a live action / animation hybrid SMURFS 3. This is a great thing for my team and me, since we are performing such a major re-imagining of the Smurf universe into a more Peyo look. We have lots of story, visual development, character designs and rigs, environments, assets, props…everything…and we need this added new production time to “get all our Smurfs in a row” and make the best movie possible. 

Remember, this is not a sequel nor a prequel. It’s a whole NEW Smurf adventure! As a director, I’m very grateful to be given the proper time to make the movie I want to make and not have to compromise the quality on any front. Most all animated features, especially those from major studios, require at least 3 - 4 years to make (some far longer), and while this Smurfs movie will still be on a faster track than most, I’m really happy Sony has made this important decision. Quality is a huge priority and it is no small task to achieve, especially on an animated feature. 

This all new Smurfs movie deserves the best, and Sony obviously knows and respects that. 

So onward and Smurfward to summer 2016! 

Review #35 | Saludos Amigos

Saludos Amigos! This is a package film with four segments that focuses on Latin America.

Saludos Amigos, 1942

This 43-minute animated feature is Walt Disney's contribution to the wartime "Good Neighbor Policy" between the USA and Latin America. Opening with live-action footage of Disney and his staff (referred to by the narrator as a "group of artists and musicians") heading off to South America to glean material for a new cartoon project, the film then segues into the misadventures of American tourist Donald Duck at Lake Titicaca. Moving down to Chile, the audience is entertained by the story of Pedro the little airplane, who vows to deliver the mail through the treacherous mountain ranges between Santiago and Mendoza. In the Argentine Pampas, our old friend Goofy tries to acclimate himself to the life of a Gaucho. The best sequence is reserved for last: the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, with an animated paintbrush guiding Donald Duck and his South American counterpart Jose Carioca on a surrealistic, samba-rhythmed tour of Brazil.

Saludos Amigos is an informative cartoon of the early ages that introduces to the culture of Latin American in four short different segments. If you want to know and see what the artists do for a living like me, you will want to check out this movie.

It starts out with live action documentary style with a narrator explaining the journey to Latin America. It has a lot funny puns throughout the 40 minute film, so I did enjoy that. What I found interesting was in the second segment of the movie the narrator introduces to Pedro the airplane and he reminded me of Dusty in Planes.

Although it does not have anything as a whole story there are bits and pieces of great informative information and you can also have look on the sketches of the artists of that time. I recommend this to anyone interested in Latin America or in Disney.

Inside Outside Rating: 47%

Legends of Oz Promises Great Music

The music in animated films played a big role since the very beginning. Beauty and the Beast surprised the world and raised the quality of animated films. Not too long ago Frozen, which dominated box office and became the highest grossing animated film of all time, was a musical. The upcoming movie Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return seems to follow that medium and promises to deliver great music.

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return open in theaters on May 9.

Review #34 | Rio 2

Blue Sky Studios is getting better and delivers beautiful animated feature film that in my opinion is better than its predecessor.

Rio 2, 2014

It's a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids in Rio 2, after they're hurtled from that magical city to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all - his father-in-law. All our favorite Rio characters are back, and they're joined by Oscar nominee Andy Garcia, Grammy winner Bruno Mars, Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth and Oscar/Emmy/Tony winner Rita Moreno. Rio 2 also features new Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle Monae and Wondaland.

Rio 2 surprises to be a sequel that works really well. It has better comedy than its first movie and it turns out to be so entertaining that makes me be forgiving in my judgment. Although the story-lines of Rio 2 seem simple and familiar, thanks to the beautiful animation and sweet comedy Blu soars high in the air.

What I like about this movie is that it has the Blue Sky Studios feeling in it. From anticipating moments to laughable comical characters, Rio 2 has all the entertainment for the audience to watch. Throughout the movie you start care about Blu and understand his situation and you see his love for Jewel through his decisions.

Side characters and sub plots work well Rio 2 as in Ice Age. The animals that audition are hilarious and I love when films capture these scenes (Turtles are the best!). In the end I felt sympathetic for Nigel, which was surprise because I never cared about him in the first movie. However in Rio 2 he is so pathetic that you’ll only feel sorry for him.

Watching it in 3-D was a treat. It looked so good. Once again I’ll have to say the animation in Rio 2 is pitch perfect and with great musical numbers, stunning human character designs and beautiful sequences it looks to be a successful movie.

Inside Outside Review: 85%

Review #33 | Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is a an animated musical with such memorable songs like 'Gaston', 'Be Our Guest', 'Something There', and 'Beauty and the Beast'. This movie thrives high into entertaining the audience. It is filled with magical character that will last for ages.

Beauty and the Beast, 1991

The film captures the fantastic journey of Belle (voice of Paige O'Hara), a bright and beautiful young woman who's taken prisoner by a hideous beast (voice of Robby Benson) in his castle. Despite her precarious situation, Belle befriends the castle's enchanted staff-a teapot, a candelabra and a mantel clock, among others-and ultimately learns to see beneath the Beast's exterior to discover the heart and soul of a prince.

Where to begin..? Beauty and the Beast is a classic tale as old as time. It is one of the best musical animated features of all time. The music blends in with the animation medium and it is as if the music tells its story through animation.

The characters are lovely and the story is wonderful and it never gets old. The animation is stunning even until now. If I have to be critical, I will say that the animation is slightly off the top notch perfect film because the characters facial parts of Belle change slightly in the movie.

The special edition was probably the only fault of this movie. The original version is better because it is to the point. What makes the special edition less entertaining is that it makes the story lag behind when it needs not to. It was absolutely unnecessary to put the ‘human again’ sequence in it.

Beauty and the Beast is one of the best of Disney classics and a very good tale to remember and watch again and again. It is funny, joyful, and lovely. It is a tale to remember.

Inside Outside Rating: 91%

Animating Bambi

Bambi was one of the earliest animated films made from Disney studio. To make Bambi more realistic, the artists and the animators did a lot of research.

Bambi, 1942

The animators visited the Los Angeles Zoo and Disney set up a small zoo at the studio with animals such as rabbits, ducks, owls, and skunks, and a pair of fawns named Bambi and Faline so that the artists could see first-hand the movement of these animals. (Wikipedia)