Archive for June, 2008
06-29-2008
WALL-E
So, today I went and saw “WALL-E,” a movie I’ve been looking forward to since I saw a preview of it in the spring. I was curious to see what the folks at Pixar had come up with this time.
First, the obvious. The design of the robot is COMPLETELY ripped off from the movie “Short Circuit,” one of my all-time favorite movies. If the person who designed Number Five isn’t getting royalties, they are getting screwed. In fact, at times they even copied Number Five’s mannerisms, as during the beginning of the movie when WALL-E is shown sifting through various bits of trash and seeing what looks interesting, or they way WALL-E cringes in fear at various points during the movie.
Having said that, “WALL-E” COMPLETELY rocks! You’ve got to give the creators props. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when they proposed this movie to Pixar. “Yeah, we want to make a movie about a robot in the future, and it won’t talk. It’s set on Earth and in space, and Earth is completely vacated by humanity and overwhelmed with garbage. It’s gonna be great.”I imagine the executives would have wondered what the creators at Pixar were smoking.
In the first 40 minutes of the movie, I doubt there are more than 100 words of dialogue. In fact, WALL-E basically says his name and EVE’s name. Yet these first 40 minutes are completely arresting, even more so because of the lack of dialogue. WALL-E compacts junk, then stacks the crushed junk to form skyscrapers of it, skyscrapers that have a path around the outside so WALL-E can go up and down them. At the end of the day, WALL-E goes back to his little home, stashed with random things he has collected, and watches an old videotape of “Hello, Dolly,” searching for some understanding about himself and the world. WALL-E’s only companion in this desolate wasteland is a cockroach.
WALL-E’s world is shaken up when EVE arrives. WALL-E is instantly smitten. However, after WALL-E shows her a plant he has found, EVE scoops up the plant and shuts down, providing the intro to the second half of the movie, when WALL-E follows her into space to find the surviving remnants of humanity, who exist as a blobs catered to by robots. Humans lie on floating chaise lounges all day, and talk to each other on holographic video screens projected inches from their eyes.
When WALL-E arrives, in between trying to find, court and save EVE at the same time, he starts mini-revolutions wherever he goes, introducing himself with his high-pitched mechanical voice, shaking hands and saying “WALL-E.” Both the robots who cater to humanity’s every wish and the humans themselves seem not to know what to make of the diminutive little WALL-E.
“WALL-E” contains some interesting tributes to sci-fi films. The villain of the movie turns out to be the autopilot Otto; with a red eye, it is a clear tribute to HAL from 2001. There’s also a scene when you first meet the captain and “The Blue Danube” is playing, another reference to 2001.
I’d have to say, this is probably my favorite Pixar movie yet, maybe even better than “Monsters Inc.” and will be a definite DVD buy later this year. In the meantime, run to your nearest theater to see this gem of a movie about a sweet little robot seeking love.
Posted by Candace in Movies | No Comments »
06-17-2008
The Incredible Hulk
So, over the weekend, after playing tennis, I decided to go catch the Hulk. The only other movie I want to see right now is Sex and the City, and I’m waiting to see it with a friend when she gets back from Canada.
I’m not one of those geeky girls who read comics growing up, though I have to admit I want to read the Season 8 Buffy comic. My brother however, loved Hulk growing up, so I have a soft spot for it, and I have vague memories of the TV show.
I saw Ang Lee’s version a couple of years ago, and it seemed mostly blah. This one pretty much picks up where that one left off.
The good: Edward Norton projects pathos very well. Norton’s always been a great character actor. He was fab in “Fight Club,” and I loved him in “The Italian Job” as the double-crossing thief.
The bad: too much CGI. I don’t know if this is a legitimate complaint or not. After all, we are talking about a comic book. However, the battle scenes really had no element of realism to them. It’s also hard to believe the CGI Hulk. He doesn’t seem human at all. I’m not going to get into the sloppy science; it wouldn’t be a comic without ridiculous runaway science causing all sorts of mayhem. However, the Hulk stands probably 10-12 feet, and has insane muscles.
Liv Tyler is so-so channeling the “Arwen in love look” she perfected in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. As a girl with father issues herself, I certainly sympathized with her battles with her dad in the movie.
Perhaps I’d have enjoyed this movie more if I hadn’t seen “Iron Man” earlier, which certainly tops “The Hulk” in its complexity and plot. Robert Downey Jr. is a more complete character. How much so becomes apparent at the end of “Hulk,” when Downey does a brief scene as Tony Stark, apparently setting up the Avengers. After two hours of “Hulk,” Downey virtually steals the movie in five minutes. If they do make and Avengers, Downey and Norton could work very well together.
Posted by Candace in Movies | No Comments »