Movie Reviews
Just came back from the movies, and in a very good mood.
The Princess and the Frog
3.5 stars
A solid couple of hours of jazzy, feel-good, veryslightlymoralising entertainment. What more can you ask of a 21st century Disney film? P&F may not have had the whimsy and magic of The Little Mermaid, or Beauty and the Beast, but a modern heroine in a post-Shrek world is obviously going to be cast with slightly more 'tude than traditional princesses.
As an Enid Blyton-munching, fairy wand-waving little girl, I had several concrete plans to marry Prince Eric and fly away on a magic carpet to Fairy Land. I loved the magic woven into those old stories - a magic that simply existed without requiring the hoodoo and voodoo that swept up the hero and heroine of P&F. To be fair, Anastasia (almost as Disney as Disney) engaged in a touch of witchcraft, but Rasputin's motives were somehow more believable than the villain in this piece.
So no; The Princess and the Frog did not live up to Disney of Old, but it was very enjoyable, very sweet, and had a great soundtrack. It was also quite funny, resulting in me bursting out laughing all over the place at slapstick moments. The frog prince had a French-ish accent (of course) and a very suave manner, while the pragmatic frog princess could have swept Ariel out of the water with her sheer determination.
Avatar
3 stars
I saw Avatar last week. Despite having to shove up those 3D glasses back up over my own glasses throughout the movie, it was very much worth the ticket price. The plot is pretty much Pocahontas from John Smith's perspective, but with aliens instead of Indians, and a more 'Disney' ending. Yes; Avatar was more Disney than Disney. Take that as you will. The graphics were just amazing, if that's an important factor for your movie-viewing. I'm more attracted by story than pretty, and my concentration stuck fast throughout the three or so hours.
It's obviously not a complex plot, but if you treat it as a modern fable [do not destroy Earth, do not be racist, humans kind of suck, guns are awesome but bad] then it's entertaining. Not to be taken too seriously.
And Sam Worthington is a sexy, sexy man. And a sexy, sexy blue catman. And he's Australian. Score.
The Princess and the Frog
3.5 stars
A solid couple of hours of jazzy, feel-good, veryslightlymoralising entertainment. What more can you ask of a 21st century Disney film? P&F may not have had the whimsy and magic of The Little Mermaid, or Beauty and the Beast, but a modern heroine in a post-Shrek world is obviously going to be cast with slightly more 'tude than traditional princesses.
As an Enid Blyton-munching, fairy wand-waving little girl, I had several concrete plans to marry Prince Eric and fly away on a magic carpet to Fairy Land. I loved the magic woven into those old stories - a magic that simply existed without requiring the hoodoo and voodoo that swept up the hero and heroine of P&F. To be fair, Anastasia (almost as Disney as Disney) engaged in a touch of witchcraft, but Rasputin's motives were somehow more believable than the villain in this piece.
So no; The Princess and the Frog did not live up to Disney of Old, but it was very enjoyable, very sweet, and had a great soundtrack. It was also quite funny, resulting in me bursting out laughing all over the place at slapstick moments. The frog prince had a French-ish accent (of course) and a very suave manner, while the pragmatic frog princess could have swept Ariel out of the water with her sheer determination.
Avatar
3 stars
I saw Avatar last week. Despite having to shove up those 3D glasses back up over my own glasses throughout the movie, it was very much worth the ticket price. The plot is pretty much Pocahontas from John Smith's perspective, but with aliens instead of Indians, and a more 'Disney' ending. Yes; Avatar was more Disney than Disney. Take that as you will. The graphics were just amazing, if that's an important factor for your movie-viewing. I'm more attracted by story than pretty, and my concentration stuck fast throughout the three or so hours.
It's obviously not a complex plot, but if you treat it as a modern fable [do not destroy Earth, do not be racist, humans kind of suck, guns are awesome but bad] then it's entertaining. Not to be taken too seriously.
And Sam Worthington is a sexy, sexy man. And a sexy, sexy blue catman. And he's Australian. Score.