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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 December 2010

Walt Disney produced America’s first animated feature film in 1937.  Based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a tremendous success.  It is regarded as one of the best animated films of all time.

A lot has changed over the past 73 years but Walt Disney Animation Studios (as it is known today) has stuck to its winning formula.  They have taken iconic stores and brought them to life on the big screen for both kids and adults to enjoy.  There are too many examples to name.

Tangled is a milestone in that it’s the 50^th animated feature film within the Walt Disney Animated Classic series.  It too is based on a fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm – that of Rapunzel.  If you’re wondering why Disney didn’t call the film Rapunzel, apparently they were worried that it wouldn’t appeal to a young male audience.  Doesn’t make any sense to me but ok, I’ll go with it.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Rapunzel is a young lady who has spent her entire existence living atop a tall tower.  She has often wanted to leave home and see the world but her mother, Gothel, has other ideas.  She tells Rapunzel that it’s too dangerous and that she must stay hidden within the tower for her own safety.

What Rapunzel doesn’t know is that her mother is pure evil.  In fact, she’s not even her mother at all.  Rapunzel was born a princess to a nearby kingdom but was kidnapped by Gothel just after she was born.  Why you ask?  Rapunzel’s hair contains amazing powers and provided it is never cut, Gothel can use it to remain eternally youthful.

Upsetting the apple cart is a mischievous thief by the name of Flynn Ryder.  After stealing a valuable crown from the castle, he flees into the forest and comes across the well-hidden tower.  It’s a little rocky at first (evidenced by a frying pan to the head) but Flynn and Rapunzel become close.  With Gothel away on a short trip, the two sneak out and go in search of adventure.

I liked Tangled but I wouldn’t consider it in the upper echelon when ranking Disney’s best.  I saw the film almost a month ago and I struggle to remember many of the details when putting together this review.  My point is that it’s a nice way to spend two hours but it’s not that memorable.  It lacks the emotion that I remember from so many other animated classics.

Perhaps others feel the same way.  Tangled has battled its way to just $144m at the box-office in the United States over the past 5 weeks.  That’s well below what’s you’d expect from a Disney film.  It looks even worse when you compare it against its budget of $260m (making it the most expensive animated film ever made).  Maybe they should have stuck with Rapunzel as the title!

I feel like I’m being overly harsh because there’s still a lot to like about Tangled.  There’s a nice balance of action, suspense and comedy.  A feisty horse named Maximus will leave plenty of audience members smiling.  The quality of animation is superb… although I suggest you choose the 2D option if you’re looking to save a few dollars.  The extra effects aren’t worth it.  Damn!  I’ve just finished on another negative.  Perhaps we’ll just leave it at that.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 December 2010

Sam Flynn (Hedlund) is a wealthy 27-year-old who can pretty much do whatever he wants.  He is the largest shareholder in ENCOM, one of the world’s biggest video game companies.  Sam doesn’t like the way that ENCOM is being run but he’s not the kind of guy who will put on a suit and sit in a boardroom.  He’d rather have fun by making trouble – hacking computer systems and speeding on his motorbike.

He inherited his shares 20 years ago when his father, company founder Kevin Flynn (Bridges), mysteriously disappeared.  Sam can remember his dad sitting at the foot of his bed and telling him about an “extraordinary” discovery that the company had made.  That’s the last memory he has of his father.  Kevin Flynn vanished the next day.

Tipped off by an old friend, Sam decides to check out his dad’s old video game arcade.  He finds a narrow passageway which leads him into his father’s secret lab.  It’s dirty and it’s dusty.  It’s clear that no one has been there in a long time.  Sam switches on the computer and types in a few codes.  There’s a quick flash of light… and he suddenly finds himself in a different world.  It’s bizarre, like something out of a video game.

What I’ve described is roughly the first 20 minutes of Tron: Legacy.  Once you get past this obligatory background material, the “awesomeness” of the film kicks in.  The next 100 minutes are spent in this cool fantasy world.  Sam locates his long lost father but finds that he’s being kept prisoner by an evil dictator.  Can he formulate a rescue and return them both to reality?

I’ve been critical of many movies this year that have been screened in 3D.  There’s often little need for the 3D effects but studios persist anyway.  They simply want the additional takings at the box-office.  That’s not the case here.  Tron: Legacy is a film you must see on the big screen in full 3D.  When you mix the striking visuals with the heavy sound effects and booming score from Daft Punk, you’re provided with a reason to go to the cinema.

Credit for the film’s innovative style must go 36-year-old director Joseph Kosinski.  Most budding filmmakers follow a well-worn path en route to breaking into the industry.  That wasn’t the case with Kosinski.  Instead of going to film school, he studied architecture at Columbia University.  His expertise with 3D modelling and graphics helped him nab the director’s chair.  I believe he was a good choice.

Before you get too excited, I admit that the story could use some work.  Explaining this parallel world and how it operates gets quite technical.  There isn’t time to go into much detail.  You won’t feel much emotion either.  The writers have tried to build the relationship between father and son but it’s hard to generate empathy for them in such a strange situation.

It’ll be interesting to see how Tron: Legacy fares at the box-office.  I’d like to see it succeed but is there enough to attract the female audience?  Will the video game look be a turn off for others?  We’ll find out over the next few weeks.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 December 2010

If you enjoy a good post-film conversation, grab some friends and check out Somewhere.  I make this comment as I’ve read many differing opinions about this latest film from Sofia Coppola (Lost In Translation).  When it screened at the Brisbane International Film Festival last month, my Twitter friends described it as everything from “tiring” to “stunning”.

The film centres on the day-to-day life of a big name movie star living in Hollywood.  Johnny Marco (Dorff) is his name.  The first scene of the film is Johnny doing laps on a deserted race track in his Ferrari. The second scene has Johnny lying on his bed while watching two blonde twins put on a pole dancing display.  This opening is a little drawn out but you get the point.  Johnny Marco can pretty much do whatever he wants.

Is he happy though?  Well, that’s a question up for debate.  There are certainly parts of his life that he enjoys.  Women are forever falling at his feet.  There’s one part where he opens his apartment door and an attractive blonde just so happens to be waiting across the corridor.  One thing leads to another and... well, you get the idea.

What’s more interesting about Johnny is the fact that he comes across as an introvert.  He doesn’t want go to a party with friends and get stuck making small talk.  He doesn’t want to do press junkets with journalists asking him the same questions over and over.  He’d rather spend his day alone – driving his car, laying by the pool or simply taking it easy in bed.

Out of the blue, Johnny’ ex-wife drops off their 11-year-old daughter, Cleo (Fanning), at his doorstep.  She needs a break and has asked that Johnny look after Cleo for a while.  You might think that Cleo would be a hindrance to Johnny’s lifestyle but she’s anything but.  They get along beautifully.  Johnny enjoys the company and the chance to spend time with someone who doesn’t see him as a movie star.  Cleo enjoys having a father figure and also the opportunity to visit some cool places.

I wasn’t satisfied by the ending but I enjoyed the journey.  When I put together my list of the top 10 movies of 2010, I noticed that two films were light in terms of dialogue – A Single Man and I Am Love.  Both let sounds, music, expressions and visuals do the talking as opposed to actual words.  Whilst Somewhere isn’t quite “top 10 material”, it has been made using a similar mould.  It’s a style I appreciate.

Whilst it has a little bit to say about Hollywood and the way it operates, I enjoyed the film more for its depiction of the relationship between father and daughter.  I also admire Sofia Coppola for not overcomplicating the screenplay.  There’s no tension just for the sake of it.  Watching Johnny and Cleo lying in bed eating ice-cream was enough for me. It’s a touching moment.

When I first saw the trailer for the film, I was puzzled by the odd casting choices.  Stephen Dorff rose to fame in 1992 with his role in The Power Of One but his last decade has been dominated by direct-to-video action flicks.  Chris Pontius (who plays Johnny’s best friend) is better known for his crazy stunts, many involving nudity, on Jackass.  As for 12-year-old Elle Fanning, this is her first time in a leading role.  Coppola's gamble has paid dividends.  The performances are all terrific but Fanning deserves to be singled out.  She’s a natural on screen and this should open many doors for her.

Once again, we’ve been spoiled with a plethora of new release films in Australia on Boxing Day.  It’s a bountiful crop this year and hopefully many filmgoers will find time to squeeze Somewhere into their relaxing holiday schedules.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 December 2010

You might have heard the saying that every hero needs a villain.  Well, I guess it stands to reason that every villain needs a hero.  That’s the basic premise behind Megamind, the latest animated film from Dreamworks.

For many years, the evil Megamind (Ferrell) has been trying to defeat the city’s beloved Metro Man (Pitt).  Their battles are reminiscent of a Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon.  No matter how much planning Megamind puts into his devilish schemes, Metro Man always comes away as the victor.

Then… the unthinkable happens.  Megamind wins.  He kidnaps journalist Roxanne Ritchi (Fey) and lures Metro Man to the city observatory.  It turns out the copper lining the walls is Metro Man’s “kryptonite”.  His superpowers are useless.  Before Metro Man has a chance to escape, Megamind sets off the detonators and blows up the observatory.  The hero has been eliminated.

Megamind takes over the city but slowly starts feeling discontent.  Life was much more fun when he had someone to battle against.  Things just aren’t the same.  He comes up with the idea of creating a new adversary.  He picks out a bumbling cameraman named Hal (Hill) and starts grooming him into a caped crusader.  It won’t quite work out as he’d hoped.

Sadly, I could say the same thing about this film.  It didn’t provide the laughs that I was expecting from the trailer.  While I was sitting in the theatre, I kept thinking back to one of my all-time favourite animated flicks, The Incredibles (released in 2004).  It too looked at what goes on behind the scenes in “superhero world” but it was much funnier and much wittier.

Is Megamind just a vehicle for Will Ferrell to use funny voices and shout a lot?  That’s certainly the impression that I had.  So much more could have been made of this premise.  Audiences haven’t been too kind with their word of mouth either.  The last five Dreamworks animations have grossed at least $180m in the United States.  Megamind isn’t going too bad (with $130m over its first 4 weeks) but there’s no chance that it’ll reach that mark.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 December 2010

Who ruled Great Britain before Queen Elizabeth II? She’s been on the throne for so long that many people wouldn’t have the slightest idea.  The answer is King George VI.  He was Britain’s monarch from 1936 until his death in 1952.

His unlikely ascension to the throne is chronicled in this amazing film from director Tom Hooper.  Known within the family as “Bertie”, Albert Frederick Arthur George (Firth) was never expected to be king.  This was because he was the second son of King George V.  His older brother, Edward (Pearce), was first in line and had been impeccably groomed to take the throne when the need arose.

That situation presented itself in January 1936 when their father died at the age of 70.  The charismatic Edward became king and Bertie could breathe a sigh of relief.  He never really wanted the throne.  He was happy to leave the mantle to his more outgoing, more charismatic brother.

Unfortunately for Bertie, a constitutional crisis was about to present itself.  King Edward wanted to marry an American divorcee by the name of Wallis Simpson.  The government threatened to resign if the marriage went ahead and so Edward abdicated the throne.  As they say, the rest is now history.  Bertie, now known as George VI, became King of the United Kingdom in December 1936 and ruled during World War II.

Much of this story is told in The King’s Speech but the film’s focus is on Bertie’s relationship with an Australian speech therapist named Lionel Logue (Rush).  Ever since he was a child, Bertie had suffered from a terrible stutter.  The pressure of his role and the fact he often had to speak publically only made things worse.  His wife (Carter) had found numerous therapists but none had made an impact.

Lionel Logue was different however.  His methods were unorthodox and he had a somewhat odd sense of humour.  A trust developed between the pair and Bertie’s stutter started to improve.  Their friendship had to be kept a secret however.  The palace didn’t want it known that George was being helped by an unknown Australian with few credentials.  Even Lionel had to keep it a secret from his wife (Ehle).

Writer David Seidler had wanted to tell this story for a long time.  He originally envisioned it as a play but that changed when Geoffrey Rush first laid his eyes on the script.  Left on his doorstep in a brown paper envelope, Rush read the script and immediately spoke to his agent in Hollywood.  He suggested that the film would make a better movie than a play.  Judging from the fantastic early reviews which have been received for The King’s Speech, I guess he was right.

Seidler and Hooper undertook a large amount of research to help get to know these characters.  They had spoken with Lionel’s son but an amazing stroke of luck occurred just 9 weeks prior to shooting.  They located Lionel’s grandson living in London who had a diary that Lionel had written while treating the King.  It offered incredible insight and the script went through a quick re-write.  A few of the jokes which were actually shared by the real King and the real Lionel made their way into the final film.   They give the movie a nice balance of comedy and drama.

The power of The King’s Speech comes from its performances.  Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter have been perfectly cast.  All three appear on track for an Academy Award nomination with Firth a strong frontrunner in the best actor category.  You’ll develop a great deal of sympathy for his complex character and be hoping that he finds a way of overcoming his frustration and insecurity.

One of the most highly regarded prizes in cinema is the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.  Hundreds of films are screened each year with the audience (as opposed to critics or a jury) picking the best film.  Winners over the past decade have included Precious, Slumdog Millionaire, Hotel Rwanda, Whale Rider and Amelie.  The King’s Speech took the honours in 2010 and so if my glowing review isn’t enough to get you to the cinema, may you instead be guided by the wider public.

You can read my interview with director Tom Hooper by clicking here.