Movie Review - Inside Out 2

Director: Kelsey Mann
Genre: Family/ Animation/ Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Phyllis Smith, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Kensington Tallman, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan. Paul Walter Hauser, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ayo Edebiri,
 
Description: Riley is entering puberty and experience brand new, more complex emotions as a result. As Riley tries to adapt to her teenage years, her old emotions try to adapt to the possibility of being replaced.

Review: As a child, life is simple. A child’s emotions are still basic, but it’s a whole different story once puberty hits them. Snapping at parents, wanting to belong, getting bored and, above all, a lot more worries come along. So too for Riley, the happy-go-lucky girl who managed to embrace her sadness in the first film to become more balanced. Riley is now thirteen and that balance is in danger of disappearing completely to a host of new emotions affecting her life.

“Inside Out” was an outright hit where the various emotions of human beings were explained extremely well and in depth in a fun and colorful format. Nine years on, the second installment is released with an attempt to bring Disney out of its slump (they haven’t released the best films lately). In this, the emotions in Riley’s head succeed all too well. And again has much emotional depth.

Its greatest strength lies in the recognizability of the story and the accompanying emotions. Where we already dealt with Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, we are now introduced to Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui.

Amy Poehler is still as infectiously cheerful and determined as in the first film. She is the perfect Joy. But Maya Hawke as Anxiety is the big surprise in “Inside Out 2”. She perfectly manages to combine the hustle, anxiety, stress, panic and urge to control that fits the emotion. She delivers her dialogue with great energy and you can feel the emotion in every scene she is in.

All the emotions are incredibly well played. The interactions unfold with great humor and the jokes hit the mark. One of the other new emotions is Ennui (boredom), only with a small role, but makes to most of the scarce moments it is in.

With “Inside Out 2”, Disney seems to put its core values first again by creating a humanly relatable story in a warm and cheerful setting. The complicated emotions are perfectly laid out and made understandable. A great sequel.

Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Toy Story of Terror

Director: Angus MacLane
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 22 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Carl Weathers, Timothy Dalton, Stephen Tobolowsky, Wallace Shawn, Kristen Schaal, Kate McKinnon, Ken Marino

Description: Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang are held up at a roadside motel and members of the group start to disappear. Woody sets about getting to the bottom of the mystery.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 15: A FILM STARRING YOUR FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS
 
Review: The “Toy Story” series is very high on my list of favorite Pixar films. The third film is my favorite and I really enjoy all the characters in this franchise. Even in a short story like “Toy Story of Terror”, you get tons of laughs from all these fun characters.

The toys are in the trunk of the car, traveling with Bonnie and her family, when they get car trouble. They have to stay overnight at a roadside motel. Strange things start to happen at night, when members of the gang start to disappear.

This short film was release around Halloween time in 2013 and has a pretty simple premise. It even introduces a few new characters. It’s not a horror film of course, it’s supposed to be for the entire family. But there are some nods to “Psycho”, for the adults. It’s a fun little short film, I enjoyed it and really loved seeing all the characters together again.

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - A Bug's Life

Director: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Comedy/ Adventure
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Dave Foley, Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Hayden Panettiere, Phyllis Diller, Richard Kind, David Hyde Pierce, Joe Ranft, Denis Leary, Jonathan Harris, Madeline Kahn, Bonnie Hunt, Michael McShane, John Ratzenberger, Brad Garrett, Roddy McDowall, Edie McClurg, Alex Rocco, David Ossman, David L. Lander

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 15: A MOVIE SET IN SPRING

Description: A misfit ant, looking for "warriors" to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers, recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.

Review: After Disney Pixar brought us the first fully computer animated film “Toy Story” in 1995, everyone was waiting for the next project. In 1998 they came with “A Bug’s Life”, an animation about the insect world.

“A Bug’s Life” tells the story of an ant colony that is terrorized by a group of grasshoppers. Every year the ants have to give the grasshoppers a large amount of their food in exchange for protection. This year something goes wrong, because of ant Flik. He has to get help, but no one think’s he will succeed.

This clumsy ant, who thinks beyond the ‘ant tradition’, manages to find other insects to help them in their war against the grasshoppers. Flik thinks he is dealing with strong and brave insects, but they are actually a touring group of circus artists.

Like in “Toy Story” the audience is presented a colorful and diverse group of characters, with lots of quirks. The show is stolen by the macho ladybug, a fat caterpillar, a cynical praying mantis and a stick-insect. But also the ant queen. All get wise lessons: believe in yourself. This is brought to us the Pixar way, without any false sentiment.

Although the story is pretty predictable, the style is breathtaking. It has some great action scenes. And the story is filled with visual and textual jokes, that will make children and adults laugh.
“A Bug’s Life” is probably one of the lesser popular Pixar films, but to me a joy to watch and totally worth your time!

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Turning Red

Director: Domee Shi
Genre: Family/ Animation/ Adventure/ Comedy
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Hyein Park, Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen
 
Description: A 13-year-old girl named Meilin (Rosalie Chiang) turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.

Review: Pixar has always had that edge over its competitors. Not only because of the high quality of their animations and stories, but also because of the way they know how to tap into difficult subjects. Whether it is the complex human mind or soul: Pixar knows how to deal with it. But how do they do it when it comes to puberty?
The short answer is: mediocre. This is mainly because the writers did not focus on just the subject of puberty but dragged in a whole lot. The metaphors in “Turning Red” are almost innumerable, if you feel like delving into them. If you don’t, you’ll see a very pleasant animated adventure about a girl who turns into a giant red panda when she lets her emotions run wild.
The thirteen-year-old Chinese-Canadian Meilin lives with her overprotective parents in the Toronto of 2002. Her mother in particular does not allow her daughter much freedom. In turn, Meilin feels a great responsibility to make her parents proud. Meanwhile, hormones are coursing through Meilin’s body. She is preoccupied with boys and swooing over her favorite boy band 4-Town. She is also quite hyper and hysterical, to the point of being irritating.
Meilin wakes up one morning, walks to the bathroom with sleepy eyes and gets the shock of her life when she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She has turned into a big red panda. In amusing dialogue, her mother thinks her first period has occurred. Her good intentions cause Meilin even more embarrassment. And for even more emotion, which awakens the red panda within herself.
“Turning Red” is the first full-length animated feature for director Domee Shi, who made her debut at Pixar with the animated short “Bao, about a lively dim sum. What is special is that almost the entire main crew of this production consists of women. Even more extraordinary that this should be worth mention anno 2022. Shi, along with her co-screenwriter Juli Show, drew from her own life and formed Meilin from her own experience and personality.  
Visuall, Pixar breaks new ground. Even thought it revolves around a Chinese family, there is a slight alignment with the Japanese animation style. The clumsy body proportions of the characters and the almost pastel-colored softness of the backgrounds are also special.
This urge to experiment is also reflected in the themes that are fired at the audience in a rather confusing manner. As if puberty were not enough, Shi and Sho also cram in themes such as the traditional Asian family relationship, friendship, being who you are, cherishing your own emotions and demanding parents. So it’s jam-packed, although the meager elaboration doesn’t get in the way of the action moments.
There appears to be a reason for Meilin’s special transformation and this guarantees both comic and exciting moments. The climax takes place at a concert by the band 4-Town, whose music was written by Billie Eilish and her borther Finneas. With “Turning Red”, Pixar and Disney attempt to address taboos, albeit very carefully. Unfortunately it was completely successful.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Monsters Inc.

Director: Pete Doctor, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Family/ Fantasy
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly, John Ratzenberger, Frank Oz, Bonnie Hunt

Description: In order to power the city, monsters have to scare children so that they scream. However, the children are toxic to the monsters, and after a child gets through, two monsters realize things may not be what they think.

Review: In Monstropolis monster live in all sizes, types and colors. They are like people, they are funny, friendly, hard-working and driven. The world of monsters also needs power and electricity. They get that energy from children’s screams from those who are frightened at night. The children are visited through a very special  system of closet doors at Monsters In., the largest scare factory of Monstropolis. The motto: We scare because we care. Top scarer is James P. Sullivan, Sully for short. A big, blue, fluffy horned monster with a heart of gold. His assistant, roommate and best friend is Mike Wazowski. He is enthusiastic, headstrong, short-tempered and has only one eye. Mike and Sully provide a record yield of energy. None of the fellow monsters can match them. This is to great frustration of the cynical chameleon Randall Boggs. Because he is jealous of their success, he does everything to come out on top.
When the little, curious human girl Boo accidentally sneaks into the monster world, it is the monsters who are shocked. They think humans are toxic and dangerous. one touch can be fatal. Sully and Mike are spooked too at first, but take Boo into protection. They are determined to return the girl to her bedroom, which isn’t as easy as it seems.
Still, to this day, “Monsters Inc. is my favorite film from Pixar. It’s a creative film, in terms of story and animation. Many monsters pass by, big, small, round, rectangular, many eyes, one eye, teeth, scales, fur, all the colors of the rainbow, you name it. The story is sweet, funny, exciting, action-packed. Perfect for the whole family.
Sully and Mike are voiced by John Goodman and Billy Crystal and they couldn’t have found anyone more perfect for those roles. Especially Crystal is hilarious as Mike, who also happens to be my favorite Pixar sidekick.
“Monsters Inc.” is, as I stated before, my favorite Pixar film. And the film entertains me every single time I watch it.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - Luca

Director: Emrico Casarosa
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, Sacha Baron Cohen

Description: On the Italian Riviera, an unlikely but strong friendship grows between a human being and a sea monster disguised as a human.

Review: Luca is a sea monster who lives on the bottom of the ocean under the strict supervision of his parents. When he meets fellow sea monster Alberto, they transform into humans together and explore an Italian village where their friendship blossoms.
Like Pixar’s previous film, “Soul” (2020), “Luca” is now appearing exclusively on Disney + and unfortunately skipping cinemas.
“Luca” is a lighthearted film, not an outright tearjerker. No big risks were taken and the topic is simple. Just two boys who find support in each other, push their limits and have fun during the summer. It’s so pure, simply enjoying life together. Pixar does add a magical touch to it by making the two boys sea monsters who turn into human boys whenever the step onto the dry land.
“Luca” is refreshingly ‘simple’ in its execution compared to other Pixar films. Which is not to say that there isn’t a deeper meaning behind certain subject. Hidden beneath the surface may be a message that is very relevant today. And when it comes to visuals, it looks stunning as always. The colors are so vibrant, bold and bright.
“Luca” is a fun adventure to dream away with.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Night - Pixar Movies

When I was visiting my best friend, her kids gave me the movie “Wall-E” which they had borrowed to watched. That gave a genuine urge to rewatch it. So I decided to make a movie night out of it and watch three Pixar movies. Besides this rewatch, I picked another that I haven’t seen in a long time. Plus one I hadn’t seen yet.  
 
I watched all three movies on my own.
 

The first film I watched was, of course, “Wall-E”. My other friend was bored the first twenty-something minutes, since there is no spoken dialogue whatsoever. I think this is the best part of the film, because it’s so unique from any other Disney/ Pixar film we’ve had. And Wall-E is super adorable. Such a cute robot. And I love his connection with EVE. Read my full review HERE
 

The second film was a first-timer: “Onward”. Set in a mythical world, which turned into a more modern word where all magic has been forgotten. I really loved the message the film gave us and really felt the connection between Ian and Barley. Not one of Pixar’s best films ever, but a movie they can be proud of. Read my full review HERE
 

My favorite of tonight was “The Incredibles”. I love that Pixar took on the superhero theme with an entire superhero family. I believe they should have stuck with this movie, no sequel, even though I also liked that movie. But this film is so cool and I hadn’t seen is for so long. You can read my full review HERE
 
What are some of your favorite Pixar movies? Mine is actually “Monsters Inc.”, which I do need to rewatch too someday.

00s Movie Review - The Incredibles

Director: Brad Bird
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2004
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Michael Bird, Spencer Fox, Sarah Vowell, Eli Fucile, Maeve Andrews, Wallace Shawn

Description: A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world.

Review: Pixar has an almost flawless reputation. It all started with “Toy Story”. And with the superhero hype, Pixar couldn’t be left behind. And “The Incredibles” is also one of the best superhero movies ever made.
The story is about a family of superheroes. The film opens with Mr. Incredible and his girlfriend Elastigirl, who manage to capture villain Bomb Voyage. But besides doing so many good things, the superhero also did some bad stuff and citizens start to complain. All superheroes have to live a normal suburban life.
For fifteen years Bob and Helen Parr live as that average married couple. Bob works at an insurance company and Helen is a stay at home mom. They have three kids. Violet is an insecure teen, Dash is hyperactive and baby Jack Jack. And the Parr kids also have super powers. All they want is to use them for the good.
As always, the film looks amazing. All the characters are just great, especially Edna Mode with her ‘no cape speech’. The film is fun, dynamic, visually stunning, humorous, inventive and pure entertainment for the entire family.  Fans of Pixar and/ or superheroes should definitely watch “The Incredibles”.

Rating: 5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Onward

Director: Dan Scanlon
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Fantasy/ Adventure
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong, Tracey Ullman, Wilmer Valderrama, John Ratzenberger

Description: Two elven brothers (Chris Pratt, Tom Holland) embarks on a quest to bring their father back one day.

Review: Modern means of communication and technology have not only alienated us from each other, but also drive away magic. Where you used to be able to save yourself from dire situations with a spell or simply turn on a light, the modern generations no longer have any use for this. Why learn difficult spells by heart when you can simple switch on the light with a button? The Lightfoot brothers are very different. The youngest, Ian, goes along with his time, but the older tough Barley longs for old times with wizards, dragons and an ancient struggle for life and death.
It's been a while, since “Coco”, since Pixar released an original animated film that wasn’t a sequel. The world of “Onward” is a mishmash of folklore, legends and mythical creatures, but brought back to the suburban life we all know. The Lightfoots live with mother Laurel in a giant mushroom house, but the once gracious unicorns are the scum of the earth looting the trash cans. As it turns out, the once mysterious lion-like warrior Manticore doesn’t run a dangerous ominous pub at all, but is part of a commercial chain and has proclaimed herself as a brand.
“Onward” comes from the makers of “Monsters Inc.” (my favorite Pixar film) and its sequel. The comparisons between bizarre looking monsters and fabled creatures such as unicorns, elves, centaurs, trolls, dragons, cyclops and wizards are therefore obvious. Unlike series like “Shrek” that go all out to get as much as possible out of the extreme looks and characteristics of the characters, director Dan Scanlon keeps it remarkably modest. His screenplay relies much more on subtleties, such as the policeman with whom mother Lauren is dating and who smashes half the furniture with his big centaur but. It emphasizes the humanity of the characters and reduces the freak content.
Therefore, as with many Pixar productions, the world in which “Onward” is set is not its main asset, but merely a backdrop within which the story unfolds. Central to the story are the family ties. Ian and Barley lost their father at a young age and Ian in particular wants to know where he came from. When they accidentally discover a magic wand that can bring their father back, it is the earthly Ian who has the gift of making spells work. Bit of a shame that the magic stone needed for this fails and the brothers have to make do with only their father’s legs.
What follows is not only a quest for the only identical stone to get their father back, but also a quest for their true selves. Stripped of all the frills of magic and weird creatures, “Onward” is essentially a matter of finding identity. Ian is trying to connect with the popular boys and girls of the school and Barley is the rough-and-tumble type. The mission that follows isn’t just about defeating dragons and shaking off enemies, but is primarily about self-exploration. The fact that the magic is still in all of us is a nice additional thought.
Scanlon shows us a magical world, in which the ordinary is the most extraordinary. And vice versa: an ordinary world, in which the magic is the special. This approach works wonders. As is almost always the case with Pixar, each plot element has a clear function and nothing is forgotten or left out. Octavia Spencer in particular excels as the aforementioned Manticore who in turn has also forgotten what she stood for and has become a victim of consymer society.  
“Onward” is not up there with the best of the best, but it’s a movie Pixar can be proud of and I really enjoyed.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Wall-E

Director: Andrew Stanton
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Carlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Sigourney Weaver

Description: In the distant future, a small waster-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.  

Review: Before “Wall-E”, Pixar brought us “Ratatouille” and topped animation with visuals and substance. And “Wall-E” manages to stay at that level. In an ode to the science fiction genre, director Andrew Stanton takes the audience to a new world, yet also familiar. “Wall-E” also criticizes the modern lifestyle on certain aspects.
Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) is a small waste collecting robot in a far future. Seven hundred years earlier all people left Earth, which became so polluted it made living impossible. Wall-E was left behind and has been cleaning the planet ever since. He survived because of music from “Hello, Dolly”, his friendship with a cockroach, his hording hobby and repairing things. Wall-E’s life is shown in the first twenty minutes, which contains no dialogue whatsoever, at least not in spoken word. This makes “Wall-E” an unique Pixar animation.
One day Wall-E is visit by EVE, an advanced ‘female’ robot searching for any living organism on planet Earth. Wall-E falls in love and in a short time he becomes the most innocent and cute ‘stalker’ of the universe. EVE is focused on her mission, but eventually accepts Wall-E’s companionship. When Wall-E travels with EVE, he finds out what has become of mankind.
“Wall-E” is endearing and funny, but also has a more heavy theme. Where we are warned for the consequences of how dependent we are on technology these days. This messade isn’t forced on you though.
Of course the visuals are amazing, the humor is great and the entire film is so touching. The total film is entertaining for the entire family and is one of the most beautiful Pixar movie experiences.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Soul

Director: Pete Doctor, Kemp Powers
Genre: Family/ Adventure/ Animation
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, Angela Bassett

Description: After landing the gig of a lifetime, A New York jazz pianist (Jamie Foxx) suddenly finds himself trapped in a strange land between Earth and the afterlife.

Review: The Disney Pixar animation film “Soul” became the ‘victim’ of the Covid pandemic. Because due to the closure of cinemas, the release schedule was turned upside down. “Soul” was released directly on the streaming platform Disney+. And you didn’t have to pay a ridiculous additional price to gain early access.
Joe is a music teacher who has dreamed of performing as a jazz musician for years. But disaster strikes when his joy at finally getting his chance on stage causes him to fall into a well. Joe ends up in a place, somewhere between Earth and the afterlife, where he manages to escape the final end just in the nick of time. He ends up in the Big One. Here he is given the task of preparing the old soul 22 to go to Earth. But Joe also sets out frantically to return to his body himself.
“Soul” deals with a heavy theme. It deals with death or rather life. Important questions that humans have wondered about for years are addressed. What is out purpose and what is the purpose of life? And what is there after death? The animators of “Soul” manage to create an excellent picture of the afterlife and the world before the final end. that something more abstract than Earthly life is animated. With colorful characters who guide Joe’s soul in his new task as mentor of the ancient soul 22.
Despite its fraught theme, “Soul” is also tremendously funny. Especially when Joe and 22 return to Earth and have a wacky adventure together. With that, “Soul” offers us a lot. There is humor and drama. One moment there are tears of laughter and the other moment it’s of sadness. This makes “Soul” not only a beautiful film, but also one of the Disney Pixar film of recent years. Not only because of the beautiful story, but also the animation and voice performances are stunning. A film that entertains and moves. But above all brings the message that life is short and you should enjoy every minute of it.

Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Saddest Pixar Moments

Pixar and Disney movies are supposed to make us smile and it should make our day better. But even they have moments that make us ball our eyes out. Here are the saddest moments in Pixar movies.

5. “Wall-E” - Wall-E doesn’t remember Eve
The ending of “Wall-E” was super sad. After sacrificing himself to ensure the Axiom space vessel returns to Earth with the plant, Eve is forced to think quickly and replace the broken parts so Wall-E could live. Upon replacing his broken pieces, his memory is lost and he has no sense of who Eve is and starts doing what he was programmed to do… making trash cubes.

4. “Toy Story 3” - Andy gives his toys away
I think every adult had this feeling once: giving, throwing or putting away your toys because you’re getting to old. Hearing Andy tell Bonnie why these toys are special and how they helped him through is just heartbreaking.

3. “Finding Nemo” - Coral dies
Right at the beginning of the movie? Great idea Pixar. Ripping my heart out! “Finding Nemo” starts with marlin and Coral, as they are looking over their eggs that are about to hatch. But a barracuda disturbs their happiness, takes Coral’s life and all but one egg. Why Pixar, why?

2. “Toy Story 2” - Jessie’s story
I think this was the first Pixar moment that made people weep. Jessie is a super likeable character and hearing her backstory and how she was ditched by her owner just makes me cry like a baby.

1. “Up” - Carl and Ellie’s love story
Pixar delivered perhaps the most emotional segment in animation with the beautiful reflection on the married life of Carl and Ellie. It’s happy and sad at the same time.

They Almost Made the Top 5: “Toy Story 3” The toys face the incinerator,“The Incredibles” Mr. Incredible thinks his family is dead, “Inside Out” Riley Runs Away, “Monsters Inc.” Sully says goodbye to Boo, “Ratatouille” Ego’s flashback

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 92: Finding Dory

Director: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane
Genre: Animation/ Adventure/ Comedy
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Hayden Rolence, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Idris Elba, Dominic West, Bill Hader, Kate McKinnon, Sigourney Weaver, John Ratzenberg

Description: The friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish begins a search for her long-lost parents, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.

Review: A year after the happenings in “Finding Nemo”, Marlin, Nemo and Dory live a fun fish live in the ocean. One day forgetful Dory is reminded of family and that she must have a family too. Dory decides to find her family and Marlin and Nemo are worried that she might not be safe.
It’s been thirteen years since “Finding Nemo” and it was one of Pixar’s most beloved tales. Ellen DeGeneres, who voices Dory, has campaign for a sequel for years. And here it is.
All the ingredients to make “Finding Dory” a success too are present. And the new characters make it a fresh film. Especially octopus Hank is a fun new addition. But there is also near sighted whale shark Destiny and beluga Bailey. The voice peformances are great, the right actors were choosen.
Besides a lot of humor, there is also action. And the film looks so beautiful, with a gorgeous color palet. What I lovede most about the story is that there is no villain, which makes it really original. A loveable fish is trying to find her family and meets new friends, no enemies.
Is it as good as “Finding Nemo”? No. Is it a great Pixar animation? Hell yeah!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 57: The Good Dinosaur

Director: Peter Sohn
Genre: Animation/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Fantasy
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Raymond Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Zahn, A.J. Buckley, Anna Paquin, Sam Elliott, Jack Bright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla, Ryan Teeple, Jack McGraw, Marcus Scribner, Peter Sohn, Mandy Freund, Steven Clay Hunter, David Boat, Carrie Paff, Calum Grant, John Ratzenberger

Description: In a world where dinosaurs and humans live side-by-side, an Apatosaurus named Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) makes an unlikely human friend.

Review: After “Inside Out”, “The Good Dinosaur” was the second Disney Pixar film that came out in 2015. In this animation shows us the “what-if” scenario, what would have happened if the dinosaurs lived together with humans.
We meet Apatosaurus Arlo, the third child of a farminf dinosaur family. Arlo is a small, scared dinosaur. His big brother is fearless and tough and his sister is self assured and confident. Everything Arlo isn’t. When Arlo’s father wants to teach him a wise life lesson, he dad dies. When later Arlo gets lost and is far away from his family, he has to survive by himself and overcome his fears. He finds an unlikely friend in a young human boy, who he names Spot.
Director Peter Sohn and his team decided to make the dinosaurs in this animation not as realistic. It works. The surroundings on the ither hand look stunning and very life like. The story isn’t as original as we are used to from Pixar, but it’s an enjoyable film takes gives us a lot of entertainment when we travel from point A to B. The film is touching ad funny.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 89: Inside Out

Director: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen

Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Family/ Drama/ Fantasy

Runtime: 95 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, John Ratzenberger, Frank Oz, Bobby Moynihan

Description: After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.

Review: Ideas for an original film are often easier than you might think. The creative minds of Pixar used director Pete Docter’s childhood experiences for “Inside Out”. When he was a kid, his family moved to Denmark for work. Pete’s sister had no trouble adapting to the situation, but Pete himself didn’t feel at home right away. Years later Pete saw the same with his daughter, who was on the edge of puberty at the time. The idea for “Inside Out” was born and he started to fantasize about what went on in the human mind and how certain emotions happen.

Like in “Up”, Docter manages to grab the audience from the first moment, with emotion. We see a baby being born and we see her first emotions: Joy and Sadness. The girl is Riley and we see her grow up in Minnesota. Together with Joy and Sadness, there is also Fear, Disgust and Anger. They rule Riley’s emotions. When Riley is eleven, her family moves to San Fransisco. A new city, a new house, a new school; Riley and her emotions have a lot they struggle with.

Rats that can cook, roots falling in love, toys coming to life; where does ixar get all those original ideas? “Inside Out” fits this perfectly. The coming of age story has been done so many times before, but never this original.

“Inside Out” has a lot of funny moments, but also manages to touch us. Not only with the opening scene. In fact, you will feel every emotion while watching the film. As always, the movie looks fantastic. It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster.

Pixar did it again. It made an animation that doesn’t only entertain you, but also manages to touch you and it will stay in your memory. Great piece of cinema for the whole family.

Rating: 5/ 5

Video of the Week (13)

Watchmojo.com does what I love to do. Create lists. They mostly make top tens about movies or TV, but also music and videogames. I watch their channel on youtube all the time, because I just LOVE lists. I decided to share an interesting one with you. Theories that movie fans have about their favorite films. Some really weird ones, but loads of fun to know about.

 

 

Movie Moments: "Up"

It’s not a top 5 film for me, but it’s definitely one of the best Pixar movies made. It always warms my heart a little bit.

Moment # 1: Memories
Carl thinks about his life with Ellie, who has now passed away. Now Carl is left a grumpy, old, alone man.

Moment # 2: Russell
Carl meets Russell, a boyscout who is eager to help out Carl so he can earn the one badge he’s missing.

Moment # 3: Going up
Carl doesn’t want to go to an elderly home and he most certainly doesn’t want to give up his home. With the help of a big amount of balloons, he flies of in his house, to Paradise Falls, the place Ellie always wanted to visit.

Moment # 4: Kevin the Snipe
Back at home Carl told Russell about a snipe that was in his yard. Off course he made it up, but now Russell thinks he found a snipe and he calls it Kevin.

Moment # 5: Dug
Carl and Russel hear a voice, but they don’t know where it’s coming from. It apeears to be a dog named Dug.

Moment # 6: Old man’s fight
Carl and Muntz are in a physical fight, but they aren’t that young anymore.

Moment # 7: Russell becomes senior wilderness explores
Russell gets his badge for assisting the elderly, but also becomes a senior wilderness explorer. But the greatest reward he gets from Carl is the Ellie-badge.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 1 : Memories

In the Picture: The Characters from "Monsters Inc."

Oh how I love this Pixar movie. Basically because it's full of great jokes coming from the fantastic characters. If you read my blog frequently, you might already know who my favorite is, but here are the characters from "Monsters Inc."

Mike Wazowski
Voiced by: Billy Crystal
Mike is a proud and confident monster, mostly because of his friendship with top scarer Sully. He’s is an assistant and he leads a strict exercise. Mike also has a romantic side, because he’s madly in love with Celia.

James P. Sullivan aka. Sully
Voiced by: John Goodman
Sully is the best scarer for the company Monsters Inc. Everyone looks up to him. He is good-natured, hardworking and confident and he loves his job as a scarer.

Randall Boggs
Voiced by: Steve Buscemi
Randall is Sully and Mike’s direct rival. He’s a more vicious scarer and he’s very jealous of the fact that Sully is always the top scarer. To get that title himself, Randall cheats by scaring outside office hours.

Boo
Voiced by: Mary Gibbs
Boo is a toddler who steps into the monster world and becomes friends with Sully, although everyone in Monstropolis thinks humans are toxic. Boo is a sweet and naïve little girl.

Celia Mae
Voiced by: Jennifer Tilly
Celia is Mike’s girlfriend. She is very loving, but can be aggressive when she is mad.

Henry James Waternoose III
Voiced by: James Coburn
Mr. Waternoose is the big boss of Monsters Inc. He has a gentle and fatherly appearance, but that’s just a mask. He becomes more villainous as this drive and desperation strips away his morals and he is determined to not let anything stop what he thinks will be the best way for the company to keep going.

Roz
Voiced by: Bob Petersen
She is the manager of the scarefloor and always very synical, suspicious and crabby. Especially towards Mike, who is always trying to win over her sympathy.

Yeti aka The Abominable Snowman
Voice by: John Ratzenberger
Yeti also worked for Monsters Inc. but he got banished. Although he got banished, he seems like a cheery and kind monster, but we really don’t want to know why does snowcones are yellow.

George Sanderson
Voiced by: Samuel Lord Black
George is one of those monsters that can’t catch a break. He’s kind and friendly, but very clumsy.



Favorite Character: Mike Wazowksi