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Old 5 Apr 19, 04:23 PM  
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#201
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Day 83: Monsters University (2013)

Day 83: Monsters University (2013)



Monsters University is a tricky one, because as a film I think it’s pretty good, but it doesn't unfortunately match up to the brilliance of Monsters Inc. which I think affects my enjoyment of it. I don’t dislike it, by any means, but I’m not sure if it’s entirely necessary.

This having been said, it’s always nice to see more of characters I like so much as Mike and Sully. The development of their friendship in this story is believable and extremely well done. I like that the characters are already very much the guys we know from Monsters Inc. but with the kind of insecurities that tend to turn us into idiots when we’re around that age. Their friendship develops very organically too, meaning that by the time they start their life-long partnership, you are totally onboard. Of course this is helped by the fact that John Goodman and Billy Crystal are so brilliant and likeable in those roles - they probably save the film from being a bit forgettable.

The rest of the characters are really good too, especially the members of Oozma Kappa. Squishy (who is the voiced by the guy who voices Emile in Ratatouille interestingly) is adorable, and probably my favourite. Some of the second-tier characters might be a wee bit stereotypical and maybe the movie suffers from having one or two too many characters.

As far as plot goes, I feel like we’ve seen this underdog story before, so it’s not super original, but it has a splash of Pixariness that makes it more interesting. Where other movies (especially Disney movies) would have had the school losers win the final competition and become the big men on campus and live happily ever after, this movie wants you to know that you have limits, and that’s OK - sometimes happily ever after looks different than you thought it would.

The animation of the film is of course brilliant, but not anything we haven’t seen before from Pixar. The score is again good, but not as memorable as the first movie’s score. It feels unfair to gripe at small things like this, and as I say, it doesn't mean I don’t like Monsters University, but when Pixar churns out innovative, inspiring hit after innovative, inspiring hit, when they present something that’s merely good, you find yourself less than enthused.

Overall Monsters University is a funny, heart-warming film with brilliant central characters that you could enjoy at any age. Pixar might not have broken any new ground with this one, and it may not be their best, but sometimes it’s OK to be OK.

P.S. See what I did there with the OK? Because OK is the Oozma Kappa symbol...I’ll just go.
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Old 5 Apr 19, 04:27 PM  
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Day 84: Planes (2013)

Now we’re cooking - I am really getting through these now! This is the last one for a while, guys.

Day 84: Planes (2013)



So, having presented us with pretty pretty fairies for the 7-year-old girls, Disneytoon Studios now presents us with zoom zoom planes for the 7-year-old boys. Not being a 7-year-old boy, I must admit I did not like Planes, but I think that’s probably to be expected. It’s a perfectly fine film. It’s fine. It’s totally fine.

It’s also probably the most forgettable film we’ve watched (and that includes five Winnie the Pooh movies), which means my recollections of it aren’t the best. We watched it nearly two weeks ago now and I was struggling to remember the plot the following day. Bex spent the entire runtime on her laptop and I was on my phone...so this isn't going to be good review, in any sense of the word.

Planes is essentially Cars if it was made by people with zero creativity. It follows the well-trodden 'underdog wins the big race' story and will be easy for children to follow and/or fall asleep in front of on a rainy Sunday afternoon. You don’t need to know anything about the characters because they don’t have personalities or character arcs and you don’t need to worry about the plot because you can see it coming a mile off.

Actually having said that about the characters, one of them does have a personality, and hating that character was the only thing that stirred any response from me whatsoever while we were half-watching Planes. The character’s name is El Chu and he spends the entire film trying to get off with one of the other planes, even though she rejects him about a thousand times. Of course the movie thinks this is acceptable behaviour and so eventually rewards him for his creepiness, by having the woman be won over by his persistence. This trope in films annoys me very much as it encourages men to not take no for an answer, and to think women are always ‘playing hard to get’ instead of just saying no. Grrrr!

The animation of Planes probably wouldn’t seem half bad if it didn’t so obviously take place in the same world as Cars. Whatever you say about Cars (and even Cars 2) the animation is spectacular, and the texture-free cars and planes in this movie, with their limited expressions and lack of personality is a big step down. If it had only been released on DVD this wouldn’t be a problem, but this movie had a theatrical release.

Overall Planes is definitely a miss. I will probably never watch it again...and if I do, I probably won't remember it.
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Old 5 Apr 19, 04:41 PM  
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I completely agree about Planes. I think we have seen it, but I’m not completely sure as I can’t remember it 😂
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Old 5 Apr 19, 04:43 PM  
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We were so looking forward to Monster’s University as we are big fans of Monsters Inc, and it took so long for a second film. It just wasn’t good enough sadly, it’s not exactly bad as you say but it’s just not Monsters Inc standard
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Old 5 Apr 19, 05:19 PM  
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I actually fell asleep in the cinema when I took the kids to see planes, it wasn't a hit with me!
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Old 8 Apr 19, 04:48 PM  
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Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil View Post
I completely agree about Planes. I think we have seen it, but I’m not completely sure as I can’t remember it 😂
Not just me then
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Old 8 Apr 19, 04:50 PM  
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Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil View Post
We were so looking forward to Monster’s University as we are big fans of Monsters Inc, and it took so long for a second film. It just wasn’t good enough sadly, it’s not exactly bad as you say but it’s just not Monsters Inc standard
Yes, poor Pixar - they set themselves up for a fall by being too good usually, and you're always going to compare the sequel to the spectacular film that came first. I must admit I felt the same about The Incredibles 2 and Finding Dory - I hope this isn't a pattern!
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Old 8 Apr 19, 04:51 PM  
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Originally Posted by Goldia View Post
I actually fell asleep in the cinema when I took the kids to see planes, it wasn't a hit with me!
Tbh I can't believe that movie got a theatrical release - it's really not very good. At least you got a nap though, I guess
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Old 8 Apr 19, 04:56 PM  
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Day 85: Frozen (2013)

Day 85: Frozen (2013)



I like Frozen. It’s entertaining and heartwarming and contains some absolutely bangin tunes! It’s also grown on me significantly over the years. When I first watched it I thought it was good, in the way I thought Tangled was good - a fun, sweet movie that would keep me entertained for a bit and whose songs I could happily sing in the shower. But over time (perhaps just because the movie is everywhere and I couldn’t avoid it) it’s found a more permanent place in my heart. I don’t think the film is as significant as some people seem to think it is, but it’s an eminently watchable crowd-pleaser, so I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that it pleased so many crowds.

First, the story. I wouldn’t say this plot was such a massive subversion of the boy-meets-girl trope, as the majority of the film is still dedicated to Anna and Kristoff, who are also the most developed characters in the film. Turning Elsa into a misunderstood young woman rather than a villain was a good idea though. I have recently started bemoaning the lack of proper villains in Disney movies, but I think this is an interesting way of acknowledging that good and bad are a bit more complicated than we sometimes see in Disney movies. Of course, they seem to have lost their nerve at some point and felt the movie did need a villain after all, and so added Hans and the Duke of Weaselton, both of whom are little underdeveloped.

The characters, and the performances of them, are definitely one of the real high points of this film. Anna, in particular, is a really well-realised character. She is completely delightful and adorkable and I think is a lovely role-model for little girls. Kristoff is also completely brilliant, managing to be very likeable, even when he’s being a grumpy git. Both of them were extremely well-cast - how can you not love these two? Elsa is really great too, and you can’t help feeling sorry for her. That is until she lets rip with Let It Go and you just want to be her! I also think that Olaf is a big part of the reason Frozen is so good. He’s a bit like the genie in Aladdin, in that he saves the film from being just another Disney fairytale.

The other big standout in Frozen is of course the music. The songs are all beautiful and Let It Go is iconic, and for good reason. Bex thinks it’s better than Part of Your World - I do not agree, but it’s probably just the nostalgia talking. Of course Idina Menzel is a big part of why that song became such a moment in popular culture - that woman might have the most spectacular singing voice I have ever heard and she throws everything at that song. The whole sequence, including the animation, is a real turning point in the story and completely blows you away.

This all having been said I don’t unreservedly love the Frozen soundtrack. Yes, it’s got some real bangers, but not every song is amazing. Vuelie and the Frozen Heart song are both alright, but have nothing to do with the story, and it's a crime they never gave Jonathan Groff a proper song. Fixer Upper is a really fun song, but not very suitable at the moment it appears, which is when things are really starting to get serious. We need to build the tension at that moment, not break it. I think the main problem isn’t necessarily the songs themselves, however, but their placement in the film. Nearly all of the songs happen in the first half hour of the movie, and there are none in the third act. We are absolutely crying out for another Elsa song when she has been captured by Hans, and Anna and Kristoff need a love song of their own - these are somewhat glaring gaps in the movie and their absence leaves the film feeling lopsided.

The movie is certainly not without its flaws, and however much I enjoy it I can’t quite explain its phenomenal success, but I do very much enjoy it and I am thoroughly jazzed for the sequel. You’ve kept us waiting for 6 years, Disney, this had better be good!

P.S. Frozen the Musical is coming to London next year and I am very excited for it. I have listened to the cast album from the broadway version a lot of times and it’s sooooooo good!

P.P.S. For what it’s worth, my theories as to why Frozen is the most successful animated film of all time are as follows:
  1. We got two Disney princesses instead of just one.
  2. Let It Go
  3. Memes
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Old 9 Apr 19, 03:16 PM  
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I think olaf is my favourite sidekick, I love his song. He's a cutie.

You're right all the songs are done in the first 30 minutes, it's a shame really. It always means I feel like I can zone out and not bother with the rest of the film. We've got the deluxe soundtrack with lots of songs that never made it into the film and the writers explain what they were thinking when they wrote them. It's a good album and it's a shame that half the songs didn't make it.

I think that Elsa was the new Gloria Gaynor (different generation, perhaps you will have to Google her!). Anyway, she resonated with a whole bunch of women. Sometimes we just need an anthem and we have to belt it out.

I also cannot wait for the sequel, I hope it's as good as the first one and that there are some real showstopper songs.
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