My Neighbors are WAY More Interesting Than Yours!

You know what's a great thing to follow the world's saddest movie with? The world's happiest and most child friendly movie!


And if IMDb is to be believed Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbor Totoro were actually released as a double feature in Japan because Studio Ghibli didn't have confidence that Totoro would bring in enough money as a stand alone movie. Coincidentally it didn't do well until they started mass producing toys from the movie two years later. I have a theory that the real reason it didn't do so well in theaters is because it was shown as a double feature with THE WORLD'S SADDEST MOVIE. But that could just be me.

Oddly though, I think My Neighbor Totoro actually does make a good follow up to Grave of the Fireflies. Totoro portrays a historically ambivalent time period that could easily be considered the early to mid 1950's. Hard times have come and gone and the future is bright and optimistic. There is what could be considered a residue of said hard times (i.e. mom stay's in a hospital for the duration of the movie) but there's still a permeating feeling that everything will work out ok. It could also be argued that this movie is a reflection of Miyazaki's post-war childhood experience. His mother did spend many years in and out of hospitals as she suffered with tuberculosis and he has admitted to the semi-autobiographical nature of this story.

Anyways, I'd say the best word that could be used to describe My Neighbor Totoro would be enchanting. It so perfectly encapsulates what it is to be young and still unabashedly believe that the world is full of magic. If at all possible I would recommend watching this movie with a little person. I watched it with my 4 year old niece and it was delightful.

One thing (among many) that I especially love about this movie is the parent-child relationship between the two girls, Satsuki and Mei, and their father. When little Mei discovers soot monsters in the house they've all just moved into and runs to tell her dad about it he doesn't huff at her and say "Hogwash! There's no such thing as magic!" Like so many other parental figures do in these types of movies. And do you know why he doesn't correct her four-year old idea that there's little pretend creatures living in the house? Because in a reality based world parents don't generally get angry when their children believe in make believe things. In fact, they encourage the use of their child's imagination and in many instances goad them on (Santa Clause anyone??). It's little details like this that I like so much in a Ghibli movie, they don't add much (if anything) to the plot but they do add a level of realism to the 2-dimensional world being created on the screen.

And can we talk about character design for a moment? I am 100% certain that the reason this movie did so well from it's merchandising is because the character of Totoro was designed so well he was basically screaming to be made into a giant plush toy.

Speaking of the character of Totoro, Mr. Miyazaki has actually mentioned that the character is not based on anything in Japanese mythology or folklore. He wanted to create a creature that could be universally embraced by all world cultures. If he actually succeeds in this endeavor is up for debate but it did make me feel justified in watching it in English.

Up next: enter a world where World War 2 never happened and witchcraft is a lighthearted and whimsical entity.  

The Saddest Movie You'll Ever See

Sigh... I've become quite the shoddy blogger as of late. There are many factors that have contributed to this influx of lackadaisical writing habits of which I won't get into but I think the main factor that has made me put of writing this particular blog post is the subject matter.

For those of you who haven't been following this year's blog theme I'm watching Studio Ghibli movies. Studio Ghibli is known for their charming stories with whimsical and fantastical settings that take your breath away. However, Ghibli also has a very melancholy and dark side that a lot of fans of the studio have a tendency to judiciously overlook. That rather depressing side of an otherwise lighthearted animation studio is made manifest in the movie Grave of the Fireflies and as far as sad movies are concerned this one takes the cake.



I first saw Grave of the Fireflies when I was roughly nine years old at my friend's house. I got away with seeing a lot of movies and TV shows that I wouldn't have otherwise seen at this particular friend's house but I honestly wonder how I ever got away with this one. It's probably because the movie is animated that it was initially branded as a harmless thing to exploit a child to. And this movie is the number one example I site when explaining to people why animation is not a medium that should be relegated strictly to the realm of childish entertainment. It is a very serious film that details with very serious ideas and it is unforgiving in its presentation of those ideas.

Here's a brief synopsis of the movie:

Two children are living in Tokyo with their mother during WWII. Their father is in the navy and is stationed on a ship somewhere in the Pacific. The children get separated from their mom during a firebombing raid. Shortly thereafter the mom dies from the severity of her burn wounds during the raid and the children are shipped off to distant relatives that they barely know and who are not at all pleased to have two extra mouths to feed.

The older of the two children is a boy, about 12 years old. He struggles to take care of his little sister and due to constant antagonisms from the woman they're living with decides to move his sister into an abandoned shelter/storage area positioned next to a lake. This is where things get really hard for the two kids. Food becomes harder and harder to come by, especially for two kids living "off the grid" and the boy resorts to stealing food and raiding people's houses in order to take care of his little sister. Eventually he learns that his father has died in an attack some months earlier. Then his little sister dies of starvation and he follows shortly thereafter.

The End.

Is everyone good and depressed now?

Listen, my intention with this particular post is not to bum everyone out (although that will probably be a side effect) but I have a couple of things to point out that I've learned from this movie.

1. Animation is a very powerful medium that is significantly undervalued. 

Because a character is being presented as abstract (i.e. animated) and not tangible (i.e. live-action) it creates a sense of universality. The kids in Grave of the Fireflies could be anyone, they can more easily be related to children that you personally know. And this story is an unfortunately common one for citizens of war torn countries.

Not to mention since animation is a medium that is usually relegated to the realm of children's entertainment it works well to heighten the horror of the story. Think about the juxtaposition: a terrible war story told through a child's medium. It works incredibly well to elevate the sorrow of the film.

2. War effects everyone. 

I think popular media has worked well to give us the impression that war only effects the army, or those people that deserve it. But that is hardly the case. The opposing army is only a fraction of the people involved in a war. Every soldier fighting on the front lines has a mother and father and many of them have children and spouses. Those people not only have to deal with the absence of a family member but they also have to worry about their own safety, where their next meal is coming from, where they're going to sleep at night. And what happens to the children when the parents aren't there to take care of them?

I don't mean to sound so despairing about all of this but I'm an American and these are issues my country has only had to deal with minimally. We're an amazingly blessed nation that has never been invaded and has only minutely had to deal with war caused disasters on our own turf. Very few of us have seen what sort of effect this level of conflict can have on a community. I would say it's fair to compare America as a nation to a teenager: we think we're invincible, the world is our oyster, we have a very optimistic perspective on the future, etc. All of these things are really great but I would say that as a whole we are also a very naive country. We think we know everything but on the grand scale we haven't experienced much.

Now, I'm not saying America deserves to be invaded so that we can see what it's like from the other side. No one ever deserves that. Ever. And I'm not saying we shouldn't have entered into conflict with Japan during WWII. I'm just saying we should maybe be a bit more prudent in why we're picking a fight with someone.

Anyways, I would not recommend showing this movie to any nine year-olds that you might know. But if you are an adult reading this blog post and you haven't seen this movie yet I would recommend that you watch it. Not so much for entertainment value (does anyone every consider movies like this entertaining?) but possibly to give some extra perspective and compassion. And maybe raise the question of what it means to go to war.

Good thing the next movie Studio Ghibli came out with after this one was My Neighbor Totoro!

Oh, and as an extra note: this is my 50th blog post. So hurrah for me! It only took 3ish years to get here.

A Letter from a Beleaguered Fan

Dear Disney Corporation;

Let me begin by expressing my deep gratitude and admiration for all the hard work and wonderfully artistic talent you've inspired throughout the years. I'm sure I'm not alone in expressing this, and I'm positive you get this all the time but, I know I wouldn't be the person I am today without many of your beautiful and uplifting movies. I know I am truly blessed to have grown up during the Disney Renaissance of the 1990's. I was inspired everyday as a child by the idea that with kindness and determination I could do or be whatever I wanted. What a profound honor that has been.

Animation has mesmerized me my entire life. As a child I used to watch my Saturday morning cartoons with a touch of amazement and wonder "How do they do that?" I remember going to see Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin in theaters and I felt that I had truly found magic in the world and that that magic was created in the fantastic world of animation. So thank you for enchanting my childhood.

I am now in my senior year of college finishing up a degree in illustration. I have made it a hobby of mine to study animated movies. I like to consider how well a story is told, what point is trying to be made, and how well the movie elevates the art form of animation. I don't consider myself by any means an expert but I do have loud opinions on the subject and for the most part I consider those opinions viable.

Now, my dear Disney, you've had your Renaissance, you had an awkward transition phase as you tried to figure out how digital animation works, I feel now that you've moved into a Rococo phase in your progression of the art of animation. I say Rococo because I feel like many of your recent movies are full of needless opulence and that they greatly lack substance. They are formulaic and slightly mundane (granted, the storylines of the 90's were also very formulaic but each movie was very stylistically unique). They're just a bunch of fluff. Your characters no longer come across as really feeling anything. They've become actors portraying someone else's emotions. Take for example the absolutely stunning scene in which Pinocchio finally becomes a real boy. That scene was so carefully created that I was convinced that animated drawing was truly a 3-dimensional boy who had gained something significant and who deserved it. I could feel his joy at the accomplishment he had earned.

I haven't seen that level of a character's conviction since maybe Mulan.

What's happened to you Disney? Have you become so confident in your successes that you no longer feel the need to push yourself? Are you no longer interested in growing an art form? Do you feel that you have deserved the privilege of resting on your laurels?

I feel as though you're no longer interested in further innovations in storytelling. Sure, you're still trying to experiment with animation and pushing the technological advancements of the medium and for that I applaud you. But you no longer seem interested in telling important stories in an unapologetic manner. You seem to have lost the part of your soul that cares about saying something that matters. And that fact makes me deep and miserably sad.

And now it looks as though the only thing you're interested in doing is rehashing your previous successes. I see these ads for your live action Cinderella and I wonder "Why?" There's nothing there that hasn't been said before. Then I see that you have a live action Beauty and the Beast in the works and the same bitter question rolls through my mind. Then comes the announcement of a live action Dumbo, a movie that really had something significant and special to say and that took the art of animation to a whole new place and I lament the lack of creativity I see seeping out of your corporation. You won't make any of these stories better by retelling them, you only diminish some of their splendor by sheepishly admitting you think you can do them better than their creators did.

And then this afternoon I come across this most egregious of announcements and I have to admit it's made me nearly give up on the future of my most beloved art form:

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/frozen-2-is-official-110332.html

Why Disney? Why do you insist on doing this? Here is the most shallow, opulent, lacking in conviction, Rococo-esque movie I believe you've ever come out with and now you've seen fit to expand the vapidness by creating a sequel to this mess. As your continuing greed mounts the one thing I've consistently held to is the fact that Disney creates so few canonized sequels to their movies. Dreamworks and Pixar seem to create nothing but sequels but not you Disney, you've got a loftier goal than high box office returns. But now you've gone and announced this embarrassment and my confidence in you sinks further and further into the void.

If the only aim to your enterprise is to create commercial success then please stop lying to the public and telling us that your sole desire is to uplift the masses and give them bright shining hope for the future. You aren't doing that; you're padding your retirement fund and buying private islands in the Caribbean and referring to that as good for everyone.

You've made me very sad Disney and I'm tired of watching you sink into vanity. Please reconsider the work that you're doing and the purpose for doing it and raise to the challenge of creating something better.

Sincerely;

A Concerned and Wavering Fan  

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!