Warriors of the Wind

Oh hello, I didn't see you there!

Today I'm following the usual protocol: I have a million things to do and I'm tired out of my mind so naturally it's time to update my blog.

I've actually been staying pretty on top of my Ghibli movie watching spree. It's surprisingly easy to do when you have consistent free access to a gigantic film collection (thank you Orem Public Library!). Today I'm going to talk Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Castle in the Sky.

Nausicaa has a very long and semi-interesting history about how it got to America. It's pretty dramatic to some people (myself included, at least the first time I heard it) and if you're really curious you can read about it (here) but I'm lazy and I don't think the story is relevant so I'm not going to discuss it further.


If I wanted to get technical about it Nausicaa actually isn't an official Ghibli movie since it's creation pre-dates the official founding of the studio but it is ceremoniously considered the first Studio Ghibli film. Which I think is a good thing because Nausicaa blows Castle in the Sky out of the water in terms of awesomeness.

Nausicaa is very obviously a Miyazaki film. He has a tendency to recycle the following themes: environmentalism, feminism, pacifism, loving relationships (not just romantic love), and flying....the guy really has a thing for flying mechanisms. Nausicaa is super heavy handed with the environmentalism and pacifism themes. In fact, the environmental plot line in this movie could almost be used as an allegory for pacifism.

Allow me to explain:

Nausicaa takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where, due to tampering with technologies too powerful for mankind to handle, humanity has essentially destroyed the ecosystem and created a vast and deadly toxic jungle infested by gigantic hostile insects. However with time and a lack of tampering the jungle is purifying itself, a fact that is unbeknownst to most of the population. In addition, the Valley of the Wind has learned that by harnessing wind power and generally leaving the jungle alone they are able to live peacefully. If they try to hack away at the jungle it only leads to the spread of noxious spores and death. By this we learn that aggression only leads to greater calamity and chaos and if we chose not to become entangled in futile troubles then things have a tendency to work themselves out and we are better for it.

Another big theme not just Studio Ghibli movies but in a lot of animes in general is the fatality of tampering with technologies that we don't fully understand and that could have major repercussions. This is a big reflection on modern Japanese history. You may have heard of a little incident that happened way back when referred to as "World War II." If you're unaware of how that war ended in Japan it happened when America dropped two giant ass bombs, vaporizing countless people in seconds and killing countless more in the weeks, months, and years following the event. In fact, to this day Japan still feels the repercussions to that catastrophic event. A small one of those repercussions is the realization of the frailty of man. This idea is reflected rather subtly in Nausicaa with the inclusion of the character Kushana who makes a disturbing implication to being more metal than flesh and bone due to a previous encounter she had with an insect. Also the inclusion of the "God Warriors" with their horribly destructive powers that nearly wiped out the entire human population and lead to the creation of the toxic jungle. Ok....so that one's not so subtle but it still gets the point across.



All in all Nausicaa is a pretty rad movie. It's not the most refined of Miyazaki's films but it still does a bang up job and it gets the point across.

Castle in the Sky however....

This movie is mediocre at best. It still deals with themes of peace and environmentalism(ish) and flying machines are heavily featured but there isn't really a progression in story. And the themes seem to simply be slapped onto the end as an afterthought. All in all it's pretty crude for Miyazaki and when it's compared to all his other work it falls a little flat.

And that's all for now!

Next time we'll discuss the world's most depressing movie and the great atrocities war can exploit children to....specifically children.

Cheerio!

All the Greats Have to Start Somewhere

Oh hey internet!

Long time no see. How is everyone?

As a previously announced at the end of last year, this year’s movie watching challenge takes me across the sea to the mystical island nation of Japan and the Japanese version of the Disney Studio: Studio Ghibli.

Now, before I get started on this I feel like a few things need to be explained:

1. I like Japanese Anime. I am not an anime fanatic. For me, anime is just like any other animation medium: some of it is good and some of it is terrible. I am incredibly picky about the anime I will watch and I’m not a purist about the anime I watch – as in, I will watch it in English if possible because more often than not I’m too lazy to read my cartoons (there are, of course, exceptions). I don’t have Japan envy and I don’t think that everything produced by their animation industry is entertainment gold. I give this disclaimer because there is a severe stereotype out there when it comes to people who watch anime: that they’re crazy fanatics who will watch anything made in Japan without discrimination, they have major Japan-envy, and even if the opportunity doesn’t present itself they will talk about anime with anyone and everyone whether or not the other party is interested in hearing anything about it. I have met these people, I know they exist; I get along with some of them, most of them I get annoyed with almost instantly.

2. Hayo Miyazaki is an incredible animating genius, he is not God. I like Miyazaki’s work. I am always impressed with the beauty and obvious care taken in each of his movies. His production value is (almost) unmatched. However, I do not think everything he’s ever made is worth watching all the time. Sometimes I think his storylines genuinely suck and sometimes I think his themes get a little bit repetitive. Also, he is not the only director worth mentioning who has worked for Studio Ghibli. In fact, he is not the only director working for Studio Ghibli. I know, it’s shocking, but there are other directors making incredible movies in Japan and I will discuss them during this year’s animation rants.

Although I have to give kudos to Miyazaki for name recognition. Is there any average animation lover that can tell me the various directors that have worked at Disney/Pixar over the years? I mean, most people know the name of John Lasseter and maybe Brad Bird, but does anyone know who actually directed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? I know it may shock you but Disney did not direct most (if any) of the movies produced by his studio.

3. Japan has a culture that’s different from America’s culture. This may seem like a given but you’d be surprised how many people I talk to that don’t like Ghibli movies because they’re “too weird” or they “didn’t get it.” That’s cool, you aren’t obligated to like or get every movie that you see. It doesn’t mean you are a cultural bigot. However, I think that frequently this happens because people go into these movies with a Western frame of mind. They have no understanding of the cultural, political, religious, or mythological context that is portrayed or implied in a Ghibli movie. Sometimes a small amount of research is needed in order to comprehend and truly appreciate what’s going on in a foreign film. That is especially true of a Miyazaki film, you have to have some understanding Shinto beliefs, Japanese mythology, and the impact World War 2 had on Japan (both physically and metaphysically). Actually, I shouldn’t limit that to just Miyazaki, I’d say you’ll have a greater comprehension of anime in general if you take the time to learn a little bit about Japan. 

Now that I've got all those disclaimers out of the way let's get started!

Now then, Studio Ghibli's first film is technically Castle in the Sky. Although most people usually consider Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind to be Ghibli's first film even though the movie's release predates the founding of Studio Ghibli. 

 However, I decided to take a step even further back in Ghibli history and kicked this animation year off with Mr. Miyazaki's directorial debut: Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. For those of you not familiar with this movie, allow me broaden your horizons. Lupin III was an anime show based on a manga series (or comic book if you're an American) that debuted in the 1970's. It follows the escapades of the gentleman thief Arsene Lupin III. They used to show it late at night on Adult Swim back in the day when Adult Swim mainly played anime and not a bunch of crazy who-knows-what's-happening-I'm-not-even-sure-if-this-can-be-categorized-as-animation. I have never been able to sit through an entire episode of Lupin III. It is silly, the characters are obnoxious and I'm never sure what's going on. 

In short, it is the polar opposite of anything you would ever expect Miyazaki to be associated with. I guess that just goes to show that all the greats have to start somewhere.

It has the faintest hints of the later Miyazaki movies we will all come to idol worship: It features a flying contraption (in this case a helicopter) and the vehicle designs are very Miyazaki-esque; they're all sleek lines and very curvy. The scenery is very pretty, but not in a quintessential Miyazaki way - it's just pretty.

This is perhaps the least feminist movie Miyazaki has ever produced. Which is probably another example of the fact that Miyazaki was doing this for a paycheck and not because he's really passionate about Lupin III.

The Castle of Cagliostro also features a samurai for some reason. He doesn't do much at all for the entire movie except sit around and at the end he cuts through a stone statue with his samurai sword and says "my blade can cut through anything." (Like people were actually questioning a samurai's sword's ability to cut things up.) He's probably in the movie because he's in the show but I could be wrong. As stated before, I could never sit through a whole episode. Maybe they felt like throwing a samurai in there for funsies. Or maybe it's because they thought the plot seemed too Western so they needed to remind people that this is a JAPANESE film dang it! If that's the case, wouldn't that be considered racist on their part? Or is it racist if they're doing it to themselves?

And that's all for this week!

Tune in next time for the exploits of Nausicaa and Sheeta!

How Hiro Became a Hero

I don’t think I’ve kept it as much of a secret that I’ve been gravely disappointed in Disney Feature Animation for the past year. However, I did see Big Hero 6 last month when it came out and I will admit that it satiated some of my displeasure (although at this point they’d have to go to some drastic lengths in order to clear up all of my displeasure).

Here are some of the things that impressed me about BH6:

A simple, straightforward plot. I don’t know if you've noticed this, but Disney doesn't seem to do so well when they try to complicate their story lines. A few good examples of this are Frozen, Brother Bear, Home on the Range and Chicken Little. Basically if they try to have too many things going on at once it becomes fogged up. Let me highlight what I’m talking about with the following example:

In Brother Bear there is the main character who is embarrassed by the sacred religious totem he receives, gets in a fight with his brothers, turns into a bear, befriends (ish) a baby bear, goes on a mystical quest to regain his human form, discovers that he killed baby bear’s mom, doesn't even make the minimum requirement of apologizing for murder to baby bear, doesn't patch things up with his still living brother, and decides to remain a bear. In the meantime Bear-boy’s brother goes on a revenge quest in order to kill the bear he presumes killed his brother not knowing that the bear he’s set out to kill actually is his brother in bear form and when he discovers that said bear actually is his brother he decides not to kill him but he also doesn't take the time to patch things up with him and instead chooses to sweep the whole nasty drama under the rug. On top of this baby bear decides to blindly follow a stranger around in the hopes that this stranger will be able to reunite him with the mom that he doesn't know is dead yet and whom this stranger actually killed and when he does discover that this stranger he’s put all his trust into actually is a murderer he shrugs it off for some reason and decides to continue to chum around with the guy that killed his mom (stranger danger much?). Also, there are moose with crazy Canadian accents wandering around for unknown reasons reinforcing all stereotypes about Canada that are in the book. Not to mention the mysterious clan wise woman who shows up for maybe five minutes and is never heard from again, the totem animals with their vague symbolism that is a far stretch in order to make any of them fit into the story, and the changing screen sizes and you have a nice mess of complicating a plot far more than is humanly necessary. I mean, what moral are you supposed to get from this story? Instead of solving your problems sweep them under a rug? Take lightly the sacred things in your life whether they be your religion or your familial relationships? Don’t own up to the mistakes you’ve made in the past? Who’s side are we, as the audience supposed to be on? The murder’s? The vengeful sibling’s? The naïve bear’s?

This is what happens when you try to shove too much into a story: a confusing, forgettable mess.

Now then, BH6 deals with some complex themes and concerns but presents them in a simple and straightforward manner. Doing this makes the characters and their emotional turmoil a lot more relatable to a general audience. The plot focuses on the issues of one main character (not three) and how he deals with them. Hiro is an overly intelligent kid who is full of himself (like any overly intelligent kid I’ve ever met) he’s also acquainted with loss and as a result he relies on his brother for a lot of his nurture and support. Which is why the loss of his brother is such a huge blow (also, you know, losing someone important to you is always a huge blow…). So the whole point of this movie is to watch as Hiro learns to cope with loss. It’s actually pretty inspiring to watch as he accepts his brother’s death and tries to honor his legacy by always helping those in need.

Believable(ish ) technology. I’m sure all of you sat through the credits in this movie…not only to get to the extra little tidbit at the end but as a way of saying thank you to the numerous people that worked hard to make this movie worth watching. And I’m sure as all of you were sitting through the credits you were actually reading them and taking the time to consider how grueling it must be to put an animated feature together. And I’m sure as you were reading the credits you noticed the incredibly long list of universities, libraries, and research facilities that were listed as places where the animators went to make sure all of their science was plausible and accurate. At least…plausible and accurate enough. This is why the villain uses microbots instead of an earlier concept of some sort of super suit or why Honey-Lemon’s Power-Purse isn’t full of micro-sized interdimensional wormholes but is a miniature factory for producing her chemical balls (because that’s marginally more plausible).

Ok, so not all the science in this movie is entirely coherent. The teleportation device is a little far-fetched and the idea that if someone were caught in a malfunctioning teleporter they would be safely tucked away in a comatose state in hyperspace is a bit too much to plausibly wrap my head around. But at least it was theoretically researched instead of completely made up.

Cultural mash-ups. I like the idea that one day in the distant future we’ll live in a society so intermixed that they’ll change the name of San Francisco into something more Asian-friendly (instead of the Spanish-friendly name that it currently rocks). I feel like they mostly did this because the animation industry has a big crush on Japan right now. And can you blame them? Like many people I suffer from acute Asia envy.

All joking aside, I think this cultural mash-up is really well handled. The Asian references are so casual that it makes them read as natural. Nothing in the background of the movie is over explained or hyped up. It doesn’t draw attention to itself; it’s just present, the way it would actually be in real life. This gives the movie a sense of reality lacking in other movies that attempt to do the same thing.

Baymax. I almost think this one goes without saying. Talk about a well-designed character just ready to be converted into a fluffy plush. And he’s actually incorporated into the story instead of tacked on in a blatant attempt to make mass-market plush dolls as a way to milk the general public for one more dollar (I’m looking at YOU Olaf!). And let’s not forget his adorable, child-like personality and that very fine way of performing a fist-bump… It brings to mind fond memories of myself and my darling sister Penny during our high school days.

Now then, here are the things with which I was unimpressed by in BH6:

Boring character designs. This is only a partial grievance. It’s been a long standing tradition at Disney that the main character looks like an everyday person: no real defining characteristics, kind of bland. They do this intentionally as a way to make the main character more relatable. That way you can easily swap out the main character for yourself. That’s cool and all but sometimes I wish that main character’s face had more personality to it, give him a scar or a broken nose or something.

And speaking of character design, let’s talk about Honey-Lemon. Don’t get me wrong, I really like her design. She’s like Pop-Culture-Nerd Barbie and I like that a lot. You get her personality perfectly just by looking at her. However, if this quote from the character designer for Honey-Lemon is anything to go by there’s just one thing missing from her look:

 “In terms of design she was the toughest to crack.. How to design a girl who is of latino descent, loves japanese fashion, while also is a geek about chemical engineering?"

Ok, I can get that this lady is into Japanese fashion and culture, I can totally get behind the love of chemical engineering; the part that I have a hard time wrapping my head around is that Latino descent bit. Really?? I mean….REALLY?? This girl’s got a white complexion, blonde hair, and green eyes. I get that there are some people down in Argentina that probably look like this but for the most part when I think of Latino descent green eyes and blonde hair aren’t defining traits I consider. She looks more like a So-Cal beach girl than she does anything else.

And speaking of cultural confusion, Hiro’s aunt is very obviously a white lady. I’ve already mentioned that I really like the culture mash going on in this movie and I get that it’s obviously a racially mixed family and that’s cool…kudos to them and all that. I also understand that it’s not necessarily viable to the plot that it be explained which of Hiro’s parents is Asian and which is not and in fact taking the time to do so would detract from the plot and remove the audience from the artificial reality created by the movie. So really this is something I want cleared up for my own curiosity. Which parent was of Japanese descent?  

Here are a few miscellaneous things for your consideration:

Did anyone else think that it was outrageously cool that Hiro casually has a 3D printer in his garage?

I was very smitten with the fact that the whole hero entourage’s outfits didn’t look as polished as say Peter Parker’s does (and that’s something I’ve always wondered about: how does a teenage kid with the resources that Peter has come up with a perfectly polished spandex unitard?). It further heightens the sense of reality that everyone has these great superhero costumes with a handmade/cosplay sort of look to them. I mean, Hiro wears regular jeans with his outfit.

And speaking of Hiro’s costume, does it bother anyone else that he doesn’t provide himself with any other protection than a very detachable robot? I mean, for the most part Baymax does a really great job of defending Hiro but there was at least one part during the climactic fight scene where I was just waiting for Hiro to pull a back-up defense plan out of his pocket and he didn’t. Lame!

Well, it feels like this post is a bit more long winded than usual. I guess I had a lot more to say about Big Hero 6 than I thought I would. In any case, it feels like an excellent way to wrap up my blog for 2014.

Until next time, Happy Holidays!

Like Mother Like Daughter or, Why Merida's Mom is Better Than Merida

So I might have been a little misleading at the end of my last post when I mentioned Brave.

Yes, I have a mouthful to say about Brave, and yes, it might get a little ranty but it probably won't get ranty in the way you're probably thinking it will. As it is I actually don't have any issues with the movie... I mostly take issue with people's reactions to this movie.

Allow me to explain: from what I can tell there are three group of people for this movie; the first group thinks of this movie as a knock-off of Brother Bear, the second group feels as though Brave is a mixture of two movies that have been poorly smooshed together, the third group is the Merida-worshiping feminists.

My response to the first group is an exasperated ??? WHA?? How can you...? Sputter....mutter.....various noises. Is it because people turn into bears?? Because that is truly the ONLY common ground I can find between Brave and Brother Bear. The latter has SO many problems with plot, and theme, and moral to the story that I honestly can't formulate proper sentences when I try to explain why Brother Bear is SUCH a bad movie. I mean, it's an embarrassingly bad movie. If I had worked on this movie I would be embarrassed to put it on my resume. It's just....

And I've heard this comparison from MULTIPLE people.



My response to the second group is some straight up confusion. I've heard this critique from a few completely unrelated sources now and since I've heard similar criticisms about other Pixar movies so I can't help but give this complaint some legitimacy. The confusion comes in because I've had some friends note a clear shift in feel where it seems to move from one movie to another and I honestly can't find where this shift is. Is there anyone out there that would be willing to point it out where this shift takes place and explain what these two different movies are? Because I see this movie and all I can think is there is one clear plot that is well articulated and moves fluidly.

Now this third group is where things get sticky. Allow me to explain:

I have nothing against feminists, I'd be lying if I said gender equality wasn't something we should be striving to achieve in our culture and everyday life. What gets to me is this idea that Merida is a great example of a "Strong Female Character" because she refuses to get married at the tender age of 16 and because she can shoot an arrow. I don't know how these two characteristics translate to female empowerment. Because if you ask me, Merida is stubborn, disrespectful, selfish, proud and rude. Don't get me wrong, I really like Merida as a character, but is she a great example of a good upstanding human being who handles her problems in a mature and understanding way? No.... I mean, she POISONS HER MOM!

Now, if you ask me, if you want a fine example of a strong woman you should check out Merida's mom, Elinor. There's a woman that can stop a fight by simply walking into it. Literally! Not to mention teaching her daughter the importance of putting the needs of the community above her own. She worries about the wellbeing and safety of others. She works hard to ensure the peace of her nation. When Elinor throws Merida's bow in the fire her remorse over the action is immediate because she recognizes the item as something important to her daughter. Whereas, when Merida ruins her mom's tapestry she doesn't even feel shame over ruining all of her mother's hard work. Not to mention Merida disappears after the archery contest her mom's response upon her return is "I was so worried!" Merida's response is to poison her. Granted, she was way off on the whole "a marriage will solve all our problems" bit. I mean, there's no way a marriage would make every clan happy in this movie's scenario. That's pretty obvious from the get go. Sure, she's a pretty traditional lady, what with the lack of combat knowledge and the cleanliness but, I'm all for her!



I will throw Merida a bone, she progresses miraculously throughout the movie and by the end of the story she turns into, well, a great woman very similar her mom.

And speaking of family relations, that is the number one thing I like the most about this movie: it portrays a fully functioning family with both a father and a mother that are actively engaged in the lives of their children. How often do you see that in mainstream entertainment? It is deeply refreshing. In fact, if you want my humble opinion (and obviously you do), if you want to know what makes strong, confident, young women it's parents that are involved in their children's lives.

As a final note: I watched Monster's University and was surprised by how much I didn't dislike it. What I wasn't impressed with is the Pixar short that accompanies it: Blue Umbrella. I'm pretty sure I've seen this short before, only it was called Johnnie Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet and it came out as part of the movie Make Mine Music in 1946. C'mon Pixar, you can do better.

And this concludes my rather shameful year of Pixar.

Coming up next year: Studio Ghibli!

This is a Blog Title

So I'm at work right now, it's probably not the best place in the world to be updating my blog but this is my second shift today and I'm feeling tired and generally apathetic toward respecting rules right now. So what the hey?

I have actually finished watching all the Pixar movies to date and I mostly feel ashamed that it took me so long to watch 14 movies. I keep wondering why it’s taken such a Herculean effort to get through a relatively short number of fairly decent movie work. Did I seriously get that burnt out from last year’s Disney marathon? Do I honestly dislike computer animation that much that my subconscious animosity prevented me from sitting down to watch them? Am I sick of the constantly positive storylines that we’re being forced fed by the behemoth that is Disney/Pixar? Or was it simply the fact that my apartment has lacked a DVD player since mid-march? Or that until recently I didn’t have a laptop with a disk drive? Or the idea that if I chose to watch these movies at a friend's place I’d have to tolerate them talking during the movie?

If I’m being completely honest it was probably a combination of all of the above.

I’m also ashamed that due to my ineptitude I was unable to watch any Studio Ghibli movies. Of course, there’s always next year :)

Ok, let’s do this!

Up! Is a movie that had the audacity to come out the week after I left to go serve my LDS mission. I had to endure 18 torturous months of having people tell me how heartwarming and tender this movie is without being able to see it. It was truly tolerable; it actually wasn’t that bad at all. I mostly felt the sting of missing this movie while I was in the MTC but I soon forgot about it. That’s a pretty shocking idea coming from me, I know…especially considering how many people I yelled at for talking about Big Hero 6 in front of me before I’d had a chance to see it. And the extent of those comments had been “It’s a good movie. You’ll like it!” (As a side note: I hate it when people say this to me. You don’t get a say in what I will or will not like! I’ll decide that thank you very much!)

Anyways, most people who dislike this movie are cold and heartless and probably poachers. When I finally had the opportunity to watch Up it naturally made me teary-eyed and sentimental about family and whatnot.

I also really enjoyed the commentary on the state of the modern family: absentee parents, kids with a lack of understanding and a sense of entitlement, arbitrary awards that mean nothing and show nothing but that everyone puts so much value into for some reason.

All in all a really well made piece of storytelling.

And I do love balloons.

Toy Story 3 came out shortly before I came home from my mission and it was one of the first movies I saw in theaters upon my return home. It was still showing at the local dollar theater and I went to see it with a friend of mine after the date I was supposed to go see the movie with bailed on me (it seriously was not a big deal so don’t put too much drama into the above explanation of how I ended up seeing this movie). I remember it fondly because we went to Wendy’s on our way to the theater and my friend snuck in her Frosty after the usher told her she had to throw it away before she entered the theater. Oh the rebellions that ensue with the movie theater concessions!

Anywho, like any God-fearing American who was a child in the 90’s this movie made me crazy emotional. I probably got weepy-eyed, although I can’t remember for sure. It was such a beautiful closing to a really phenomenal saga and it made me feel like I was saying a very heartfelt farewell to my childhood.

And then I heard about Toy Story 4 and my blood began to boil.

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH!!!!!!

And I’m going to pretend I didn’t watch Cars 2. The shame is just too much for me to bare.

So the next movie on my list is Brave and I’m going to refrain from blogging about that particular movie this time around since I have a lot to say on the subject and it could get a little bit ranty.

Until next time.

Have a great weekend!

Hello Dolly!

Hey guys...

I am suffering from major burn out right now. I'm crazy tired of school, and work, and waking up in the morning. I'm also not interested in activities like folding my laundry and leaving my apartment. It's not really a good predicament I find myself in considering how much I need to be doing my homework and haven't been......

So naturally my solution to this problem is to catch up on my blog.

I love the movie Wall-e. It is easily my most favorite Pixar movie to date. And I have a tendency to consider people who don't like this movie (and I say this with all the loving kindness I can muster) as idiots who can't understand a compelling and thought provoking plot when they see one. That is a very high brow comment to make, I know, but I'm kind of high brow when it comes to animation so....

Seriously though, this movie is bold. It has an intelligent message that is portrayed well with an uplifting moral to the story found at the end. It is cinematically stunning. Its frugal amount of dialog emphasizes its visual splendor. In fact, I love how little talking actually takes place in this movie. I am understandably moved by the idea of using an image to explain a story and the spartan amount of talking that happens in this movie elevates it almost to the status of a silent film.

And the message in this movie! Wow! Talk about unexpected for a main stream animation studio to pull something that dystopian out and display it as family entertainment!

Of course, I'm a sucker for a good dystopian story. It is my favorite genre. I like it because it's a spectacular way to have an intelligent discourse on social commentary without flagrantly throwing it in people's faces. I will admit that Wall-e's message is a little bit more in your face than I usually care for and that aspect of this movie did take some time for me to get over; I still enjoy what the story of this little robot has to say about the human condition: The flagrant waste of first world nations, the monolithic rise of corporations taking over so many aspects of our daily lives, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the people we elect to public offices. Not to mention the laziness of the human populous, the lack of connection and physical interaction with our friends and neighbors, the disinterest in our surroundings due to the constant plug in to our virtual realities. All of this in a medium constantly referred to as "for kids"?! And people wonder why I get annoyed when this sort of label is put on the animation industry.

What sets this movie apart from the usual dystopian story line is its ultimately happy ending and positive message concerning the human condition. (Most dystopias I've read usually end with a "life sucks, there's nothing you can do about it" moral to the story.) This movie really has a very encouraging idea for humanity and the direction it could possibly take in the future. I mean, once the humans realize that they've messed up and that there's a problem that needs fixing they all band together to set things right. They overcome a psycho robot, wide spread obesity, and probably toxic air conditions and mass starvation in order to take care of the planet that they essentially abandoned hundreds of years before. Isn't that such an uplifting commentary on the human condition? That if we see something is wrong we take the action to ensure that it is put to rights.

This is, of course, an over generalization. Some people don't care to do anything to alleviate the suffering of a messed up world but there are countless individuals and organizations that do. And that is an inspiring idea.

Let's not forget the absolutely adorable love story. What's better than robot love?

And, lest I shame myself for not mentioning this, it is crucial that no one overlook the huge homage to Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece: 2001: A Space Odyssey. In fact, I suggest to all people that they watch Wall-e with 2001 as a double feature. It will greatly enhance the experience for you, I guarantee it. Although do be warned that if you aren't familiar with 2001 please do some research before watching it! Or else only confusion and frustration will ensue.

Until next time!

Anyone Can Cook!

Guess what ya'll? I got a new job at Ye Olde Local Public Library. As a result I get free movie rentals with no late fees! It's really boosted my Pixar watching substantially. It's also made my life a daily celebration because I love books!

Anywho....

I am 99% certain that Ratatouille was made with the sole intention of showing off. There are sequences in there that are so technically complicated I feel like the only reason they were created was to brag. Don't get me wrong, Ratatouille is fantastic, but it is very braggy.




Things I like about this movie:

• A muted color palette. I'm always a fan of a limited use of color. And in this movie it works especially well to accentuate the vibrancy of food (or, the joys of our individual passions and aspirations, as symbolized by the food).
• Synesthetic rats. I'm not sure of synesthetic is the correct form of the word synesthesia (my computer is indicating to me that it's not even a word) but I'm talking about Remi's on screen description of what food tastes like. Let's face it, it's not quite possible to accurately depict what food tastes like without stuffing it in your face and digesting it, so the implementation of sounds and colors to describe flavors is pretty creative stuff. Kudos Pixar.
• "Anyone can cook." I love this saying. It's obviously applicable to more than just cooking and I follow this basic philosophy all the time with my pursuits in art. I'm a pretty big advocate of the concept that "anyone can draw." All it takes is the desire to do so. I get crazy peeved when I tell people I'm an illustration student and their response is "That's so cool! I can't even draw stick figures!" Or even worse: "I wish I could draw!" First off, yes, it is crazy cool that I'm an illustration major because I love what I'm studying. Secondly, don't write off stick figures as the lowest form of  drawing there is, because it isn't. I start all of my figure drawings with a stick figure and we go over them a lot in my figure drawing classes. And finally, YOU AREN'T DEAD! You can learn how to draw! It's not some magical ability that has only been endowed upon the select few and all you other losers have to suck it. Drawing is a motor skill, just like writing. If you can learn to write you can learn to draw. The big distinction is WANTING to learn how to draw. Please stop telling me "I wish I could draw" and start making honest statements about how you aren't interested in investing the time it would take to learn a craft. There's no shame in that. Not all things have to appeal to all people. I hate math. I've never been interested in investing the time to become proficient in the field of algebra. You don't hear me whining about it or saying ridiculous things like "I wish I knew advanced calculus!" Gross. The very idea!

This leads into the idea of "a good cook can come from anywhere." Once again I'll be applying this to the art world. I know a lot of people who have the mistaken notion that in order to produce good art you must go to school at a certain university, you must have a cintq (although no lies, if someone gave me one of those I would not snub my nose at it), or the finest papers and pencils. This is a silly pack of lies my friends. It does not take the finest education or the most expensive supplies to create something of worth. It takes patience and determination to see something done right. I create my best work using a Bic mechanical pencil and I only own four paint brushes for acrylic painting. I won't go so far as to say my art work is the best out there but I'd say I do pretty well for myself with what I have. And whatever your interests and passions are the same can apply to you.

Now that we're feeling all warm and sappy here are the things I don't like about this movie:

• The short film "Your Friend the Rat." This is my only real issue with this movie and it's not even a real issue. I only have a complaint about it because currently there is a mouse that has decided to take up residence in my apartment. And hearing "interesting" facts about how high rats can jump and how their teeth are strong enough to gnaw through steel does not help me sleep at night. Granted, I know that I am cohabiting with a mouse and not a rat, they still come from the same rodent family and therefore have similar abilities. Stupid creepy little buggers with their nasty diseases and icky little tails.

So I was going to try to fit the other three Pixar movies I've watched recently into this post but seeing as how those three are Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3 I will forego making this post any longer than it already is.

Until next time.