First up is Alice in Wonderland. I have to admit, I really don't like the plot of Alice...or lack thereof; be it in movie form or the original book. This story seriously drives me crazy. I couldn't even sit through it as a child and it is near torture to try sitting through it as an adult. It bothers me how things just happen to Alice with no rhyme or reason and how everyone in Wonderland is just mean to Alice for no reason at all. Also, the whole premise for the story is that Alice wants to know where some rabbit is going. Why don't you mind your own business Alice?? Oh, and the reason everything is so messed up? It's all a dream! That's what I refer to as lazy writing Mr. Carroll. The whole Wonderland nostalgia has been so over used it's turned into a cliche. Bleh! Yeah, and I get that there's a lot of commentary on Victorian England and blah, blah, blah. But the whole thing is just so bonkers that I can't even appreciate the subtext.
I dislike this plot so much I have a hard time paying attention to the artwork in this movie. With the exception of the Caterpillar and those playing card knights. I do love the graphic quality of that sequence when those cards come marching in. But everything else can go to the pigs!
Luckily Alice is followed by Peter Pan and who doesn't love Peter? Peter Pan is charming and follows a logical sequence of events that makes sense and doesn't make my brain hurt. This is a story made for children that actually shows how awesome childhood can be...instead of how neurotic it can be.
They do so well in capturing the different facets of children in this movie. There's Peter who is the essence of childhood. All he wants to do is have fun and play games. He lives in the moment, he doesn't think of the consequences to his actions or the dangers. Life is a game to him.Wendy, although a bit of a wet blanket, is like the quintessential little girl playing house. I mean, Peter does bring her to Neverland so she can be the Lost Boys' mother. John is like that kid that says things like "When I grow up I want to be just like my dad!" And then tries to act older than he is; of course he has his moments where he acts his age...when no one is watching. Then there's Michael who is the innocent little child who doesn't get anything.
Oh, and the background design is like looking at a dream. Not the psychotic dream that is Alice but the wonderful dream of childhood that you don't want to wake up from and when you do wake up you wish you could just go back to sleep and dream forever.
Oh, and let me just geek out about one excellent transitional scene in this movie: When everyone flies off on the pirate ship there is a beautiful transition where Neverland turns into the moon which turns into Big Ben which turns into a grandfather clock in the Darling's home! And it is done so smoothly it's barely noticeable!
And this is one piece of nostalgia that hasn't turned cliche. Every rendition and recreation of Peter Pan is awesome.
I have one issue with this movie...and it isn't really an issue with the movie, it's an issue with Disney's treatment of certain characters in recent years. That's right, I'm talking about Tinker Bell. This little fairy is a brat. Why is Disney suddenly so bent on making her a role model for little girls? I get annoyed when they try to recreate old characters. It would be a better idea if they just made a new character for little girls to admire.
Ok, I'll wrap things up here with Lady and the Tramp.
I actually don't have a whole lot to say about this movie. As anyone who knows me can attest to, I do not like pets. I don't get the point of them. They seem like a waste of money and a hassle to take care of; I can rant about this for quite some time but I'll refrain. This post has enough ranting in it already.
To get to the point, I'm not a fan of this movie. It's so dull and I certainly don't approve of Lady hooking up with the Tramp at the end. I don't know if you've ever noticed but this movie follows the basic formula of a chick flick (it may be harder to pick up on since it's between dogs and not humans) and just like a chick flick there's no real basis for a lasting relationship. Also, this movie made the idea of making out with food in your mouth sexy. Can I just take a moment to say: Gross!
However, unlike Alice, my dislike of the premise for this movie is not enough to distract me from how pretty it s. The background design is so lovely and detailed and the artists are so clever with their perspective. Everything is drawn from a worms eye view so the whole movie feels like it's being seen from a dogs perspective. It can get a little uncomfortable to watch if you're paying too close attention since it'll make you feel like you're hunched over or crawling around on the floor. Nevertheless it does make for some intelligent design.
Well, next post I'll talk about Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians. I have a lot to say about both these films so stay tuned!
And just in time for Mother's Day:
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