REVIEW: Wreck-It Ralph [2012]

“Who doesn’t like a brat with dirty hair?” The news that Disney bought Lucasfilm for four billion dollars had me thinking about another of the powerhouse’s key acquisitions—no, not Marvel and its potential for crazy property crossover. To me Mickey and friends’ best move this past decade was ensuring that Pixar Studios and its unparalleled team of creative visionaries would be their in-house animation studio with John Lasseter at its head. Not only would he have the foresight to re-open Walt Disney’s 2-D animation shingle, but he’d also find himself…

Read More

REVIEW: Madagascar [2005]

“Just smile and wave boys. Smile and wave.” Made as though in opposition to Pixar’s brand of magical storytelling, Dreamworks Animation’s Madagascar ushered in the studio’s want for broader comedy and adolescent appeal. With Shrek, they found a franchise that subverted Disney’s use of fairy tales for cinematic fodder and created a nice hybrid of laughs and story with an underdog hero inside an ugly duckling tale. But after a steady stream of Pixar work including Monsters Inc. and the previous year’s The Incredibles, you have to believe that Dreamworks…

Read More

Top 25 Films of 2000

(short and sweet and to the point; culled from watching 67 releases. constantly updated as i catch up to those i missed. click poster for review if applicable) #25: The Emperor’sNew Groove directed by Mark Dindal #24: Pay It Forward directed by Mimi Leder. #23: Tully directed byHilary Birmingham #22: X-Men directed by Bryan Singer #21: Quills directed by Philip Kaufman #20: State and Main directed by David Mamet #19: Best in Show directed byChristopher Guest #18: Tigerland directed by Joel Schumacher. #17: Almost Famous directed by Cameron Crowe. #16:…

Read More