War on Terra

DVD Review: BATTLE FOR TERRA
PG – 76mins – 2007/2010
Story by: Aristomenis Tsirbas
Screenplay by: Evan Spiliotopoulos
Directed by: Aristomenis Tsirbas
Starring the voice talents of: Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, David Cross, Brian Cox, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Justin Long, Dennis Quaid
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Taking nothing away from the mind-blowing aesthetic splendour of James Cameron’s envi-fi epic, it’s not exactly blasphemous to acknowledge that Avatar’s allegorical plot was hardly original. Dances with Na’vi’s and Ferngully in Space are two predictable but appropriate analogies, but perhaps the closest comparison is to this animated extravaganza of Russian origin from director Aristomenis Tsirbas, which actually first premiered some three years before the long-awaited trip to Pandora launched into cinemas.

Unfairly – but unsurprisingly – eclipsed at the box office by its long-awaited and over-hyped cinematic blood brother, Battle for Terra manages to condense its invaders-versus-natives into a much bum-friendlier runtime. Humanity is once again the bad guy – wishing to occupy a lush alien world after the destruction of Earth in a civil war between terraformed colonies – with a sole dissenting voice (human pilot Jim Stanton, voiced by Luke Wilson) siding with the passive under siege Terrian’s.

Released theatrically in 3D – but only available on a vanilla DVD with less-than-stellar 2.0 soundtrack; a clear sign of an underperforming rush-release – the extraterrestrial landscapes are gorgeously and vividly presented, it’s just a shame that the animation is let down by caricatured human’s and an alien race which look like bug-eyed floating sperms (well someone had to say it).

However, the same cannot be said for the beyond impressive roster of A-list stars lending their voices to the project: Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, David Cross, Brian Cox, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Justin Long and Dennis Quaid all must have seen something in the script which appealed to their artistic integrity, because I can’t imagine their paycheques were that influentially spectacular.

Being a huge fan of sci-fi ‘toon Titan A.E. (it’s a guilty pleasure, okay?), I was interested to see this recent addition to the rather specific sub-genre, but aside from the futuristic locale, the two films have very little in common. The decade-old Joss Whedon-scripted adventure (also a staggeringly poor performer in cinemas; it actually bankrupted the studio who made it) is an action-packed thrill ride; bright and fun and as easy on the brain as it is on the eyes.

What marks Battle for Terra out as different from the pack of CGI features is also perhaps the reason for its own financial failure: exaggerated character design aside, it isn’t a fun-filled laugh fest, but a very sombre and thoughtful anti-war dissertation on unity and compassion for life regardless of race, colour or creed. Even Arrested Development’s David Cross – as robotic duct between the warring factions, Giddy – isn’t the bumbling R2-D2-alike comic relief you may expect but a more logical diminutive companion.

That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of spaceship chases, explosions and action sequences in Terra, only that they clearly weren’t the driving force behind the enlightening story. Children and adults alike will find many diverse reasons to like this vibrant eco-friendly metaphor, but you may find that when the credits roll you’re more content with its charm than exhilarated by its booms and bangs, while the more sensitive little ‘uns may be quite emotional at the rather adult anti-Disney conclusion to Jim’s personal journey.


In a CR@B Shell: It must be tricky to market an animated science fiction opera which is as passionate about its poignant message as it is its dazzling skirmishes amongst the stars, but this Battle is far from Terra-ble and you’re bound to be won over by the native’s plight, so long as you aren’t all Avatar-ed out already.
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From Swamp Thing to Swamp King?

Film Review: SHREK THE THIRD
U – 93mins – 2007
Written by: Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Chris Miller, Aron Warner
Characters inspired by the novel by: William Stieg
Directed by: Chris Miller and Raman Hui
Starring the vocal talents of: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphey, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Everett, Justin Timberlake, John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Eric Idle
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I was in the minority who genuinely favoured 2004’s Shrek 2 to DreamWorks’s original fantasy-flavoured romp, yet I was in absolutely no rush to see this largely reviled threequel, for the very reason that it was largely reviled. In fact, franchise closer Shrek Forever After is already out on DVD before I belatedly caught up with this 2007 entry (recorded from BBC1 on Christmas Day). At this rate, expect the fourth film’s review circa Christmas 2013!!

Series director Andrew Adamson had already departed for Narnia prior to this entry, but otherwise all of your favourite fairy tale folk from Far, Far Away are present again. Unsurprisingly, most of them are totally superfluous and only on hand to provide brand familiarity, bolster toy sales and volunteer the occasional witticism. Nevertheless, they are joined by a veritable deluge of new-but-familiar mythological friends (Arthur “Artie” Pendragon, Merlin, Snow White, Rapunzel).

As rightful heir to the kingdom, the once-reviled-but-slowly-domesticated ogre Shrek (Mike Myers), accompanied by ever-loyal sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphey) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), sets out to bring weedy student Artie (Justin Timberlake) back from High School to claim the throne after Frog King Harold (John Cleese), umm, croaks it.

While this cross country undertaking to (and then from) Worcestershire Academy provides the narrative’s driving force, there is rebellion afoot back home in Far Far Away, with vainglorious but down-on-his-luck Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) gathering together a host of e-e-evil pantomime villains (Ugly Stepsisters, Captain Hook, Cyclops) to seize the dead king’s crown in Shrek’s absence.

While not the complete disaster I was predicting, Shrek the Third does lack the “ogre the top” (ahem) sheen which breathed life into its predecessors – at times it feels more like a lesser, direct to DVD cash-in than a blockbuster of equal worth. The story felt flat and lacking inspiration, while the demographic-straddling humour felt less fresh and more reliant upon the audience’s recognition of past giggles (Puss’s kitten eyes, Donkey and Dragon’s “Dronkey” brood).

That being said, there are a few joyfully humorous gags (I am loathe to admit that I laughed out loud at Gingerbread Man shreking himself), and your heart must be made of dragon hide to not find the bumbling and banter-packed misadventures of the three spirited sidekicks charming, even if this isn’t their greatest adventure.


In a CR@B Shell: Nestled somewhere between Shrek the Turd and Shrek-tacular; the oddball characters we have come to know and love just about keep this saga-stretching second sequel afloat, even if it does feel like a lazier effort than its boundary-pushing predecessors.
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Dusting off Old Friends

Cine-review: TOY STORY 3 – IN 3D
U – 103mins – 2010
Story devised by: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Screenplay written by: Michael Arndt
Directed by: Lee Unkrich
Starring the voice talents of: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Jodi Benson, Laurie Metcalf, Blake Clark, Whoopi Goldberg
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It happens to us all: The toys and games which shaped our childhood and we just couldn’t go anywhere without are more-and-more frequently disregarded and eventually relegated to the bottom of a dusty old toy box as the years pass by, our minds blossom and our tastes mature. This isn’t to say that we don’t have fond memories of our bygone treasures (I still know where all of my Jurassic Park action figures are, for instance: car boot sale be damned!), but playtime just doesn’t mean the same thing when you’re approaching adulthood.

Thankfully, the same isn’t true of films, where the on-screen magic can be revived every time you press play: a time capsule forever preserved on disc (or videotape). Admittedly we do sometimes revisit the movies which had us glued to the screens for endless viewings as we were growing up, only to find the rose-tinted spectacles have discoloured and we’re embarrassed to admit we once fervently enjoyed Muppet Treasure Island (don't judge me), but the true classics, the ones which capture our imagination, tickle our funny bones and stir an emotional connection – of which I am including Toy Story (1995) and its stellar 1999 sequel – will stand the test of time and still enthral no matter how old our mind, body or soul.

Perhaps it is this podiumisation (is that even a phrase? Well it is now) of Pixar's flagship franchise which had the 26 year old me a mite concerned that revisiting Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the gang over a decade after Toy Story 2 may tarnish the precision which preceded it: how could John Lasseter et al better perfection? Would this belated entry be an over-egged plod through stale plot lines? Would Lee Unkrich's first solo shot at directing become The Godfather: Part III of this popular pixelated trilogy? Had Toy Story reached its shelf life?

To answer these doubts as succinctly as I can: no, no and no again – no to infinity and beyond, if you will. C’mon: this is Pixar we’re talking about. Try naming even one of their films which is anything less than glorious? Even my least favourite of their commendable catalogue wasn’t a total Cars-crash, and their first threequel isn’t in any danger of diminishing their brand name.

The key to the super-studio’s eleventh feature film’s success is that Toy Story 3 has grown up with its audience, but not shed an iota of its charm along the way: like us, Andy (still voiced by original voice actor John Morris) is no longer the cowboy-obsessed youth with an overactive imagination, but a 17 year old lad on the verge of departing for college. His ever-loyal but depleting assortment of living playthings, shut away in a chest but desperate for attention, are facing the very same dilemma I set out in the opening paragraph: will they be sent to the attic to waste away with the Christmas decorations, get thrown away in the trash or be donated to another home where they will be played with once more? After all, these immortal accessories can't physically grow up – so they are plagued with apprehension over becoming obsolete and unloved.

Adult concerns, then. But fun for all ages. Toy Story 3 is still bright, uproarious family entertainment of the unparalleled quality we have come to know and expect from Pixar, but with a heart which belies the hard exterior of these plastic and vinyl characters. The result is a satisfying whole, a cornucopia or emotions which takes you on that most clichéd of cinematic tropes: a rollercoaster ride. From the adrenaline-pumped highs of a full scale Wild West fantasy (replete with Hamm-shaped spacecraft and Slinky Dog force field) to the heartbreaking lows of a rain-soaked montage revealing what made Lotso-Huggins Bear (Ned Beatty) the bitter and autocratic teddy he has become.

All of your favourite characters get their fair share of comedy highlights (Mr. Potato Head’s resourceful replacement body and Buzz’s default mode are two standout moments); no toy is left behind or overshadowed – except maybe in a fight for your affections – despite an abundance of colourful new faces added to the eclectic ensemble as Andy's mementos are mistakenly donated to Sunnyside Daycare, where “fun” awaits 5 days a week. But will self-appointed over-lord Lotso willingly let the new recruits leave this dystrophic nightmare of hyperactive toddlers, paint pots and glitter sticks? Cue a wonderfully orchestrated jailbreak sequence which is every bit as inventive and iconic as The Great Escape.

Fittingly for this Return of the King of the Toy Story trilogy, the climatic set-piece takes place in an enormous and mountainous junk yard with a giant trash-burning incinerator every bit as epic and ominous as Peter Jackson's visualisation of the lava-filled pits of Tolkien's Mount Doom . It far outclasses Toy Story 2's airport escapade, which always slightly niggled given its far-fetched nature (in a film with living toys; I know...). The moment when the gang hold hands in melancholic acceptance as they edge closer to the flames is a truly adult touch of humanity. Dark, yes, especially for the little ‘uns, but strikingly universal.

On a final note: yes, Toy Story 3 is animated in 3D, but not in a gimmicky lets-jump-on-Avatar’s-bandwagon fashion. There aren’t any marbles bursting out of a bag and flying towards the screen, for instance, but by putting on the Real-D glasses you are granted an added dimension which further brings these sentient inanimates to life and engrosses you in their intricate world filled with everyday dangers; the sandpit really feels like a mammoth trek across Sunnyside’s playground; the vending machine a daunting ascent to the heavens and the encroaching incinerator actually leaves you with a palpable sense of dread. But regardless of how many dimensions you view the film in, there is still much gorgeous detail to appreciate in every captivating frame and you are guaranteed to leave the cinema with a smile on your face, a lump in your throat, a warm glow in your belly and your batteries fully recharged.

Wait – what do you mean only toys have batteries?!


CR@B Verdict: Sublime, joyous, flawless; I could reel off a long list of glowing superlatives for Toy Story 3 and still not state strongly enough just how darn-tootin' good this film is. At the end of the day you just have to watch it for yourself. Repeatedly. With plenty of tissues.
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A Wondrous Tail

DVD Review: PONYO
U – 99mins – 2008
Written by: Hayao Miyazaki
Inspired by “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Anderson
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
English dub featuring the voices of: Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Betty White
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Hayao Miyazaki’s eighth Studio Ghibli masterpiece has taken nearly two years to reach UK shores and – scandalously – was the first film for which he was not nominated for an Academy Award. But don’t let those factors mislead you into thinking this animated reimagining of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid is cod awful second rate fish food; Ponyo on the Cliff (to give the film its clumsy Japanese title) is a bright, beautifully rendered fairy tale which will touch, charm and excite children from 5 to 105.

The eponymous Ponyo (voiced by Noah Cyrus on the English dub) is a mischievous goldfish with the head of a child (stay with me here) who longs to see the world outside the aquarium tank in her father’s – the powerful magician Fujimoto (Liam Neeson) – underwater castle. Escaping on the back of a jellyfish, Ponyo becomes stranded on the shore of a small fishing village and is rescued by five year old Sōsuke (Frankie Jonas), who befriends the charming piscine. Having healed a cut on Sōsuke’s hand by licking it, Ponyo uses the boy’s blood to morph into a human girl and evade her father for a second time after he “rescues” her from the human’s who “kidnapped” his daughter. However, in her sophomore escape, Ponyo accidentally releases a flood of powerful magic which causes an imbalance in the world, bringing the moon and stars out of orbit and causing a freak storm.

A furious Fujimoto is persuaded by Ponyo’s mother – Granmammare, the goddess of Mercy (Cate Blanchett) – that all is not lost. She proposes that if Sōsuke can pass a test and prove his love for their daughter, whatever her form, then Ponyo will be granted to live her life as a human and order will be restored to the world once more…

Writing out that synopsis it occurs to be just how utterly barmy this film sounds, but it is surprising how invested you become in these charismatic and loveable characters, despite the high concept world in which they live. The fantastical components do not distract from the humanistic element at Ponyo’s heart, and because of this the film flows wonderfully and never feels disconcertingly "weird". It is closer in tone to the innocence and exploratory escapades of My Neighbour Totoro (1988) than the more menacing threats lurking behind the splendour in Miyazaki's more recent Spirited Away (2001) and Howl’s Moving Castle (2006), yet adults will still find much to admire from Ponyo, without being sickened by the moral virtuosity seaping from its gills.

The film’s standout set-piece is without doubt the ferocious storm which accompanies Ponyo on her return to land. Watching the little girl run atop the crashing waves composed of schools of giant fish is as breathtaking as it is iconic. There is a beauty in the painstakingly hand drawn anime imagery Miyazaki employs which would have been lost had the scene been swamped in layers of soulless, faultless CGI. Such intimate attention to homely detail is paid throughout the film that you become as invested in watching the famished kids scoff down noodles and ham as you are in watching Ponyo magically enlarge a toy boat into a feasible vehicle for her and Sōsuke to traverse the flooded village in search of the young lad’s mother (Tina Fey). Ponyo’s destination may never be in doubt, but this journey under the sea and into your heart is more than worth taking. Set sail for superior animated filmmaking!


CR@B Verdict: Hayao Miyazaki’s enchanting reimagining of The Little Mermaid is a dazzling and graceful ode to innocence which is sure to delight and uplift all ages. Ponyo is a must sea.
****.5

Soul Survivors

DVD Review: 9
12 – 75mins – 2009
Story by: Shane Acker
Screenplay by: Pamela Pettler
Directed by: Shane Acker
Starring the voice talents of: Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, Fred Tatasciore, Alan Oppenheimer
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Shane Acker should be commended for effectively auteuring 9 – his first feature film – expanding and padding out his 2005 Academy Award-nominated short film of the same name, which, amazingly, he made for his college dissertation. The story of a sapient rag doll ‘awakening’ on a post-apocalyptic Earth where mankind has been wiped out by rampaging cognisant machines and a group of nine “Stitchpunks” (think Sackboy in PS3's Little Big Planet) are all that remains, sticks very closely to Acker's silent 10 minute short, both aesthetically and thematically, which is perhaps why the computer animated film looks incredible (it is obvious why Tim Burton took the role of producer; his kooky, gothic style a clear inspiration) but feels weak in compelling plot progression over its already trim runtime.

Equipped with a mysterious talisman left by the scientist (Alan Oppenheimer) who created and indebted them with a portion of his soul, 9 (Elijah Wood) joins, impacts and inspires the band of miniature survivors led by the cagey and cowardly 1 (Christopher Plummer) in their battle against the corrupted metallic menaces who devastated the planet. It's a minor point, but I personally found the characters denotation as numbers to be quite irritating after a while, even if their individual personalities and clear-cut roles did shine through (bodyguard, warrior, artist, engineer, inventor, explorer, etc.). It would have been easier for me to engage with the animate inanimates were they given names, although I understand why they were not: they are each part of a greater whole.

The film wears its simple message of community, humanity and hope against the odds blatantly on its sleeve (literally: it reveals them on the back cover synopsis and reiterates them in onscreen dialogue) and, because of this, I cannot say I was ever shocked, surprised or awestruck by any aspect of the linear story. Even the initial faux-conclusion following the supposed victory over the soul-sucking Fabrication Machine was obviously not the end, occurring after only 55 minutes.

I was also left numb following the "optimistic" epilogue: the talisman is used to release the souls of the five 'dead' Stitchpunks from the belly of the Fabrication Machine. But rather than bringing them back to life, the freed apparitions merely wave goodbye to their surviving friends and float to the heavens, causing it to precipitate a neon-green-tinged rain. So, life isn't dead on Earth after all, but how am I supposed to be comforted by this when over half of the main characters were killed off to get to this evolutionary conclusion?!


CR@B Verdict: A promising debut from the young director, showcasing a wealth of imagination and visual flair. Somewhat lacking in plot development, 9 is nonetheless a tantalising aesthetic achievement.
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