Paddington: AKA Marmalade, The Solution To All Of Life’s Problems

‘Paddington’ is a live-action animated comedy film based on the adventures of the iconic Peruvian bear. The plot this time around is an origin of sorts, in many ways a soft reboot of the franchise, it explains who Paddington (Ben Whishaw), is and details his first encounter with the Brown family.

‘Paddington Bear’ is a quintessentially British character, he has been a popular feature of media in our fair isles for well over 50 years as such he was bound to end up on the big screen sooner or, later. It pleases me to tell you that this is a fantastic reboot for the character reintroducing him to modern audiences, while still showing all the reasons he remains such a beloved character.

Paddington himself is handled in the same animated live-action way as something like Pikachu, in 2019’s ‘Detective Pikachu’. I believe that this is a good move as the animation always looks convincing, as in it looks like he is really there on screen with the other characters. However, the joy of this style of animation is that they can have this while still keeping the wacky over the top slapstickness of the character as well, a real best of both worlds situation. Ben Whishaw does a great job voicing Paddington, managing to capture the charm and, the innocence of the character, making him very lovable.

The human cast around the titular bear is like a who’s who of famous British actors including Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent and Peter Capaldi. Each character has their own moment to shine whether it is Capaldi’s characters redemption or, Bonneville’s character growing to love Paddington over time. All of these individual moments are well done and, have a lot to offer the wider world of the film.

The standout for me amoungst the human cast is Sally Hawkins as Mary Brown. As the mother of the family, Mary gives off more warmth than the sun; she loves Paddington from the moment she sees him, the surrogate mother-son relationship they have is incredibly heartwarming.

My one fault with the film is that it never does much with its villain Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman), her motivation is that she is resentful because her family have become a laughing stock after having a run-in with Paddington’s family years prior. As such she seeks to kidnap Paddington so she can stuff him. There a few scenes where she is mildly threatening, but as the main antagonist, she is given very little to do.

Overall a stellar reimagining that brings Paddington lovingly into the 21st century.

Pros.
Paddington Himself.
The Animation.
Sally Hawkins.
This Being An Actual Good Reboot.

Cons.
Wasted Villain.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Inside Out: A Peak Into The Mind Of A Child

‘Inside Out’ is an animated comedy-drama film, focusing on a young girl Riley, (Kaitlyn Dias), who moves away from all she knows and, ends up in a scary new land. The story is mostly told through the point of view of Riley’s emotions, who are all characters in their own right. The drama of the film comes when Joy, (Amy Poehler), and Sadness, (Phyllis Smith), lose Riley’s core memories, the memories that make her who she is, and, so have to go on a quest to get them back; going through everything from Imagination Land to Long Term Memory.

My issue with ‘Inside Out’ and, a lot of these sort of animated films is that they feel manipulative, by that I mean it feels as though they are designed to make you cry and, have a response; not to tell a story or, be entertaining, instead to pull on your heartstrings. Some moments do this well, tastefully, and had me tearing up a bit but, other moments felt so forced and, disingenuous that it left a bad taste in my mouth and, soured me on the film.

My other issue with the film is that Joy as a character is incredibly annoying. I understand that her character arc is supposed to be she thinks her way is the right and, the only way, which she then learns by the end of the film isn’t always correct, but in going through this arc she is just insufferable. Joy constantly forces her way on every single one of the other characters even when it is painfully clear to see she is wrong she goes on and, on and a lot of the time is actually quite unpleasant to the other characters. This isn’t the first film to feature an unlikable protagonist, but it is the first where I have actively wanted to turn it off because of it.

The one thing I will give ‘Inside Out’ credit for is that it captures what it is like having to face a change in your life really well. The filmmakers consulted with psychologists while making this film to try and, get Riley’s response just right and, you know what it works it works really well. All of the stages and, shifts in Riley’s emotions are very relatable and, easy to recognise from my own life.

Overall I think ‘Inside Out’ is deeply, deeply overrated, especially if you consider it won an Oscar, the plot often feels like it is trying too hard to make you feel something and, Joy as a character is unbearable from the moment she comes on screen. For anyone doing a Pixar films ranked list this belongs at the middling to the bottom end of it.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Shrek Forever After: My Kind Of Fairytale

‘Shrek Forever After’ is an animated comedy film serving as both a concluding chapter in the Shrek franchise as well as a sequel to ‘Shrek 3’. The plot revolves around everyone’s favourite angry green ogre Shrek, (Mike Myers), who after the events of ‘Shrek 3’ has become a family man however, there is a part of him that yearns to be the feared ogre he once was again. Rumpelstiltskin, (Walt Dohrn), the villain this time around, tricks Shrek into signing a contract that would allow him to return to his glory days but, at a terrible cost.

The Shrek franchise is legendary not just for its films but, for its effect on the animated movie industry, the first Shrek film ripped up the rule book on fairy tale stories and, wrote something entirely new that took pop culture by storm. ‘Shrek’ and ‘Shrek 2’ were masterpieces in their own right they captured the idea of wanting to be someone else, but over time learning to love yourself as you are so so well this is what made a lot of people like them. Then ‘Shrek 3’ came out and, though I liked it personally a lot of people didn’t, a lot of people though the franchise should have ended after 2, so it could have gone out on a highnote; not being milked for all it was worth.

To those people, I say, “you want to check out ‘Shrek 4”, not only isn’t it a cynical corporate sellout, it arguably has the most soul of any of the films in the series. The plot of this film highlights how we all grow and, change as people as we get older, no doubt a nod to the audience that has grown up watching these films. As well as this ‘Forever After’ see the most character development for Shrek himself since the second film, Shrek realise the value of family and, what his life is without it; the choice to have true loves kiss not work the first time around is genius as it put Shrek in a real sense of danger, as well as uncharted territory narratively.

Also, this film finally gives Fiona, (Cameron Diaz), something to do, the other films had flirted with this idea in the past but, had mostly sidelined her character. It is nice to see her leading the resistance against Rumpelstiltskin as it finally gives her a purpose as a character beyond being a wife and mother and, occasional sidekick to Shrek.

‘Shrek Forever After’ lets the series go out on a high note, it has heart and, a much-needed message. A lot of people tuned out after ‘Shrek 3’ and, didn’t give this a chance but, that is a real tragedy, as this is a great instalment in the series and, one of the best-animated films of all time. I can’t wait for Shrek 5.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Klaus: Claus As You Have Never Seen Him Before

‘Klaus’ is an animated Christmas comedy film the plot follows a postman, the worst at the academy, called Jesper, (Jason Schwartzman, who is tasked with setting up a post office in Smeernsburg, a northern settlement that is torn between two rival families. While there Jesper befriends a reclusive old toymaker Klaus, (J.K Simmons), and the two of them join forces to try and, bring happiness to the children of the town.

The thing that this film does the best is its reinvention of the Santa Claus, or Father Christmas mythology. All of the traditional aspects are there the sleigh, the reindeer, the going to every house in one night, but they are all done in a new way. ‘Klaus’ explains away all the fantastical elements of Santa Claus, in fun and inventive ways. What the film does with the Mrs Claus character is not only touching and, sweet but, also helps to give Klaus as a character better motivation and serves to drive the plot forward.

Another thing I like about ‘Klaus’ is the friendship between Jesper and Margu, (Neda Margrethe Labba), a local Sami girl, the friendship between the two is deeply endearing and, it is nice to see The Sami community get more representation in film.

The animation style of ‘Klaus’ is beautiful as well, each scene seems like a painting, with vivid use of colour to a masterful degree. It is easily the best looking animated film I have seen all year, even surpassing the animation master class of last year’s ‘Into The Spiderverse’. The town of Smeernsburg is stunningly realised it has a distinctive look showcasing the slight beauty than can be found in a nightmarish hellscape. The character models are also really well done, Klaus himself has the gentle giant look down to a tee, and the members of the rival families are all very uniquely drawn each having a distinctive look.

The voice cast are all giving it their all, Schwartzman perfectly expresses Jesper’s character arc: as he goes from spoiled stuck up rich kid to a responsible caring young man, who genuinely cares about the kids he and Klaus are helping. J.K Simmons gives a reserved and, measured approach to Klaus himself, showcasing a man who is dealing with grief and, finding a way to carry one. Klaus may only say a few words throughout the runtime of the film, but he gives off so much emotion, and a lot of that is through the animation, that he doesn’t need to, easily becoming the highlight of the film.

Overall ‘Klaus’ is a thoughtful reinvention of the Santa Claus mythology, it has a good heart and, wears it on its sleeve. It is a testament to the power of animation and, a new Christmas classic. A must watch.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Polar Express: Catching The Midnight Express

‘The Polar Express’ is an animated adventure film, the plot follows a young boy named Hero Boy, (Daryl Sabara) who takes a trip onboard the Polar Express, a special train that takes children to see Santa Clause at the North Pole.

Rewatching ‘The Polar Express’ had the opposite effect on me that rewatching The Nightmare Before Christmas did, by that I mean when I originally watched ‘The Polar Express’ when I was a kid I thought it was horrifying, more on that later, but when I watched it again recently I found it to be quite the enjoyable romp.

The reason I thought it was terrifying as a kid is that the facial animation is off, I don’t know if that was by design or if the technology wasn’t there, but the faces of all the characters in the film have moments where they look like something found in the worst part of the uncanny valley. Upon rewatching it in 2019, I found it wasn’t as bad as I remembered it being however, it still remains an issue with the film.

One of the things that I like the most about this film is that despite being a happy children’s film, it has dark moments; a lot of these moments aren’t obvious, but when you think about them for a second you realise just what the film is implying. The story of ‘The Polar Express’ is it’s the biggest asset as it works on multiple levels it works as a Christmas film, with the usual message of all you need to do is believe and, the spirit of Christmas. It also works really well as an adventure film, the world and, the characters are all very well-formed, they’re both dense and detailed. The mythology of the train itself is fascinating as well and, all the sequences that feature it prominently are excellent.

The main reason why these sequences are excellent is a stellar performance by Tom Hanks. This is very much Tom Hank’s film, he plays Hero Boy’s dad, the Conductor of the Polar Express, The Hobo that gives Hero Boy advice, Santa Clause, The Scrouge Puppet and, the Narrator; as well as doing motion capture for Hero Boy. As a result of this long list of performances, this film was going to live or die based on Hank’s ability to make all of these characters feel not only real but, different from one another; he does this rather magnificently. At no point in the film do you think oh that’s Tom Hanks and, that’s Tom Hanks again you see these different characters and, you know they’re distinct and, different despite all looking facially like Hanks.

To conclude ‘The Polar Express’ is a wonderful Christmas film that has a great sense of imagination, this is boosted nicely by Hanks’ multilayered performance and, a wonderful message as well. A Christmas must watch.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Nightmare Indeed!

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is a stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film, the plot follows The Pumpkin King himself Jack Skellington as he grows tired of his role as King and yearns for something different; then after a trip to Christmas town decides that he wants to spread joy rather than chills and, scares.

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is a film I remember being enamoured with when I was a kid, however, revisiting it ten years later I found it was not in any way how I remembered it; very much in a bad way. Yes in this review I will be saying why I don’t like ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, which to some is Christmas heresy.

Before I get to that though I want to talk about the stop-motion animation, which is of course wonderfully unique and, very nice to see; as there really aren’t many films like this anymore. The character models, however, are off-putting, I understand that is the point to some extent, but other than Jack, (Chris Sarandon) and, Sally, (Catherine O’ Hara) I found a lot of the other characters very hard to look at for long periods.

Despite not being directed by Tim Burton this is very much one of his films, the style and, the characters are all very much the same if you have ever seen something like Beetlejuice or, for an animated example the Corpse Bride then you know what you’re getting. After watching this film and, thinking back to Burton’s other works I have come away with the conclusion that as a filmmaker he is very hit or miss you either love his style or, you hate it.

The other thing I strongly dislike about this film is the constant singing, yes I know it’s a musical, it seems like every 5 seconds they are bursting into song. I like the odd musical here and there, they are not my genre for sure, but where I think something like Frozen, which is also a musical, gets right is that it uses its songs sparingly which makes them memorable. Whereas ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ seems to operate by a policy of how many songs can I fit into the runtime of this film.

The songs themselves are all fine, with a few standouts amongst them, but I found many of the songs went on for too long and, negatively affected the pacing of the film, sometimes making me want to turn the film off as a result as I was quickly losing interest.

Ultimately this film did not live up to how I remembered it from my childhood, I found the characters off-putting, the constant singing annoying and, though there was some Burton charm to be found it was well hidden. I like the Corpse Bride more.

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Brave: Pixar’s Forgotten Masterpiece

Brave is an animated fantasy film by genre giants Pixar. The plot follows Merida a Scottish princess, who doesn’t like that she has no control in her own life; being expected to marry and keep alive old alliances.

When looking back at Pixar’s history and filmography, Brave falls solidly in the middle, in the average category. However, I genuinely believe that this film is criminally overlooked and, is, in fact, one of Pixar’s best.

The crux of the story is a relationship between a mum and her daughter, Princess Merida, (Kelly Macdonald), wants to have her own life and, follow her heart, whereas her Mum Queen Elinor, (Emma Thompson), wants her to marry and, become the next queen; crucially they don’t understand each other and won’t listen to what the other has to say. Merida makes a deal with a Witch, (Julie Walters), to give her a potion that will ‘change’ her mum, thinking it will change her mum’s mind; instead it turns her into a bear.

Despite her mum not being able to talk from this point forward, until the very end of the film, the emotional relationship between these two characters is a thing of beauty. As the two go on a journey to get Queen Elinor turned back, they bond and learn to see things from each others point of view. Despite this being done before, it perfectly captures the mother-daughter relationship in an incredibly honest way, that only Lady Bird has done before, it is incredibly affecting; and is a fantastic example of the soul Pixar films are known for.

The voice cast is fantastic, Kelly Macdonald is a great leading lady and, the role of Queen Elinor seems as though it was written for Thompson as she captures the regal, wise Queen in a way only she can. However, the standout performance of the voice cast is Billy Connolly as King Fergus, he is effortlessly hilarious and, perfectly captures the loving if misguided father.

It is nice to see a Scottish Princess and to see a film inspired by the folklore of the Highlands, it gives the film a very unique sense of identity, that I for one greatly appreciate. I would love to see more films set in this universe and, see the mythology further explored; as there is a deep well of folklore waiting to be tapped.

Ultimately it is a crying shame how this great film has faded into obscurity, forgotten under the weight of Toy Story and Coco. This film is beautiful and, has more soul than any other animated film I’ve seen this year. If you didn’t see this film when it came out or, just love Pixar films than this is a must-watch. This is miles better than the likes of Frozen and has a message we should all take notice of.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

How to Train Your Dragon: The Love Between A Boy and his Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon is an animated action-fantasy film; loosely based on the 2003 kids book of the same name. How to Train Your Dragon is set in a Viking esque world, where every night villages are raided by troublesome dragons. Most of the Vikings are brave warriors who face off against the dragons to protect themselves and their land. However, Hiccup, (Jay Baruchel) isn’t like them he can’t swing a sword or, an axe, but he has a big heart. One day Hiccup captures a dragon, one of the most feared types the dreaded Night Fury, however rather than kill it and embrace his inner Viking, Hiccup befriends the dragon that he call toothless and what follows is their story.

The themes of How to Train Your Dragon are universal, the ideas of not feeling as though you belong, being different to everyone else around you, everyone has felt like that at some point in their life; and that is what this film and it’s sequels capture so well.

The animation is beautiful, each dragon has it’s own unique design and every corner of the map is dripping with detailed Norse mythology. This is just one of the few reasons why How to Train Your Dragon is one of Dreamworks big three franchise, the others being Kung Fu Panda and Shrek.

The relationship between the Hiccup and Toothless will strike an emotional chord with anyone who has ever had a pet before. The pure love is so perfectly captured here, and the film is not afraid to go dark with this, showing just how dark Hiccup and Toothless are willing to go for each other.

Whatsmore the relationship between Hiccup and his father Stoick is also incredibly well done. Stoick, (Gerard Butler), is the clan chief, as well as this he is a Viking in the truest sense, he is tough, manly and slays dragons for fun. To him, Hiccup never made any sense, he was always keen to understand him, but the lack of anything in common always kept them apart. The scene in the final act of the film when Stoick thinks he has lost his son, after effectively disowning him not long before, and he breaks down and realises that his outlook is wrong and, that Hiccup was right all along; then it turns out that Toothless the dragon Stoick hated has saved his son and he thanks it, it is the most touching scene I have seen in a film in a long time.

Ultimately the world of the How to Train Your Dragon is beautiful the mythology is rich and well explored, but the greatest strength that How to Train Your Dragon uses so well is its use of heart and emotion. It is despite being about dragons and Vikings and very fanciful, an incredibly affecting film and, one that will leave an impression on you long after the credits roll.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Frozen 2: Into The Unknown?

Frozen 2 is an animated musical fantasy film; the plot takes place three years later and centers around Elsa, (Idina Menzel), finding out the origins of her powers.

The most notable thing about Frozen 2 is the distinct change in tone it is very much similar to the tonal shift that the Harry Potter films had; with Frozen 2 being much more mature and exploring far darker themes than Frozen.

The overall narrative choice of tieing Elsa’s powers into her being an elemental is an interesting choice. The other elementals, air, fire, earth and water are a mixed bag; fire is a cute salamander, literally to sell merchandise, air and earth are bland and full of plot holes; water is by far the best.

The songs, which are a key part, are even better this time around. ‘Into the Unknown’, is a better song than ‘Let it Go’, as it says more about Elsa’s character motivations while also serving to set up and foreshadow the later plot. That is something that applies to all the songs in this film they no longer just feel forced in because the films needs a song, which Frozen 1 is guilty of. Instead, most of the songs this time around serve a narrative purpose.

The characters except for Elsa and Olaf,(Josh Gad), who I will talk about separately, all feel sidelined in this film, being reduced to caricatures. Anna, (Kristen Bell), becomes so needy and, controlling with Elsa that she can’t let her out of her sight for more than five minutes; which leads to Anna repeatedly putting herself in danger and needing to be saved. Kristoff, (Jonathan Groff), who was already a background character in the last film is now given even less to do; making me ask the question why was he even included if they weren’t going to use him? His whole story line revolves around him wanting to propose to Anna, and it keeps going badly, does that sound funny to you? The first time it’s passable, maybe you think it’s just a throwaway gag, but no that is his whole arc; and it is incredibly unfunny. He does get a song this time around ‘lost in the woods’ which is surprisingly, but that is it. There are some other side characters but, they’re only featured briefly.

The two characters who I think are good in this film and progress in interesting ways are Elsa and Olaf. Elsa’s quest to find out who she is keeps us guessing most of the film, yes at times some of the twists along the way are painfully obvious, but I still respect how her character progresses and, the fact that by the end of the film she is no longer Queen. I think the side plot of her maybe having a romantic moment with a Northuldra woman, is brushed over far too quickly, but maybe we will get that in the inevitable Frozen 3? Olaf, who was mainly comic relief, here has an existential arc where he questions reality and the nature of change; which I thoroughly enjoyed and thought it added a nice bit of comedy for a more mature audience.

To conclude I think that this film could have been better if it was just an Elsa, and maybe Olaf, standalone film. Anna and Kristoff have so little to do why include them? The more mature story is definitely a plus as well as the ballsy ending, but the issues I have mentioned just drag it down for me.

3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Frozen: The New Christmas Hit

Frozen is an animated musical fantasy film, focusing on two Princesses Anna, (Kristen Bell), and Elsa, (Idina Menzel), as they have to save the Kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa is born with ice powers that she can’t control, which scare her to the point she seals herself away from society. However, she rejoins society when her parents die and, she ascends the thrones, this all turns bad and, the kingdom is plunged into eternal winter, she then runs off so she can’t hurt anyone else. Her sister Anna then begins a journey to find her sister and save the kingdom.

The refreshing thing about Frozen is how it bucks the traditional Disney formula. There is no Prince Charming, and the closest we get is the villainous Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. There is a romance subplot between Kristoff, (Jonathan Groff), and Anna but, this isn’t the main focus. Furthermore, the ending of the film which calls for ‘true love’, is the love between the two sisters; which I found to be delightfully subverting.

The songs are all very well done, especially ‘Let it go’ the song a million little kids listened to on repeat, they add to the dramatic elements of the film nicely. Furthermore, the Nordic/ Sami influence in the score helps the film to have a sense of original identity.

The two sisters are incredibly well fleshed out characters with very well defined motivations and personalities, being great role models for younger audiences. However, the rest of the cast are ignored as a result. Kristoff and Olaf, (Josh Gad), have their moments but, they end up feeling more background characters; with Olaf being the worst for this.

Olaf is only in the film to act as comedic relief, which more often than not comes across as annoying. The humour of the film is very much skewed towards a child audience, yes it is a film aimed at children, but most good animated films have jokes and lines in for the older members of the audience; this one does not.

The mythology of the film is very interesting, with strong Nordic influences, it is rife to explore; though it is only lightly touched on here.

Overall all this is on the better side of Disney fare interestingly bucking the trend of the film’s gone by. Anna and Elsa are both incredibly well-formed characters that have a lot to love about them; being great inspiration for little girls. The score is well used and, memorable with songs you will remember long after the credits roll. My one issue with the film is that the supporting characters aren’t given a lot to do which makes them feel more akin to cardboard cutouts.

4/5
Reviewed by Luke