Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Animation

Not enough Scott Pilgrim articles for one week? Well, here's this: a three minute animated short produced by Adult Swim and animated at Titmouse (the studio behind Metalocalypse) that brings to life the Lisa Miller/Kim Pine back story from the book Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (and later followed up in Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together), which was left out of the recently released film. But, the cast of the film reprises their roles, while Mae Whitman and Jason Schwartzman play different characters.


This supposedly aired last night, but I missed it, so here it is from Adult Swim themselves. I have no idea how long the clip will actually last on their site, so I hope it gets included in the DVD/Blu-ray release of the film or something. Kind of makes you wish there was some sort of Scott Pilgrim animated film... though something a bit better than Flash puppets would be appreciated.

Fantastic Mr. Fox review

And the reviews just don't stop this weekend! Regardless, finally, quite possibly my most anticipated film of this season arrived in theaters this weekend (well, most theaters; it opened hear in New York and in Los Angeles, but won't open elsewhere until Thanksgiving), Fantastic Mr. Fox, the latest film from one of my personal favorite directors, Wes Anderson.

But what sets this film apart from Anderson's five previous films? Well, for one, it's his first stop-motion animated film, and it's his first adaptation, being based off the Roald Dahl book of the same name (which I finally got around to reading a few weeks ago, just for the purpose of analyzing the film...). Another thing different about the film, is that it's Anderson's film with a PG rating, and considering all of his prior films were rated R, that's kind of something worth taking note of, but I'll explain later.

The film, like the book, follows Mr. Fox (George Clooney), a sneaky fox who likes to steal from farmers. What's different here though, is that Anderson has personified Mr. Fox, giving him a personality and motivation, which isn't as clear in the book. Here, having given up stealing, he's a husband to Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep), father to Ash (Jason Schwartzman, and created for the film), and uncle to Kris (Eric Anderson, also created for the film), and is employed as a newspaper writer and wants a better life for his family. But when Mr. Fox finds a new home, across from three dastardly farmers: Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, his old stealing habits kick in, and it may cost him his home, and the respect of his family and friends.

For the most part, the film sticks to the story of the book, albeit a bit indirectly. I'm not going to spoil anything for those that haven't read the book, but those that have read it will probably see how the events of the book are re-imagined with Wes Anderson's unique vision, making the story all his own. In short, it's the story of the book, but just tweaked. I didn't think it detracted from the enjoyment of the film, and if you haven't read the book this won't even be a factor for you, but it just seemed worth noting.

The biggest difference between Fantastic Mr. Fox and Anderson's previous work is obviously the change from live-action to stop-motion animation. I can't speak for everyone, but I know that before I saw the film, I questioned if Wes Anderson's signature filming style could be translated into a stop-motion film starring animal puppets. I can now say, after watching the film, that yes, there's no denying that this is indeed an Anderson film; from the flat shots and use of symmetry, there's no denying whose film your watching when you see this. And it's not even a limitation on the animation, which looks great (especially on the human characters) and flows well. It's unlike any stop-motion film I've seen before.

Even in the writing, the way characters talk and act is just that signature look, and while you may not actually see Anderson regulars like Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson, you will hear them, and think that also helped in retaining the feeling of his films. But, the non-Anderson regulars perform just as well. George Clooney and Meryl Streep have a really nice voice chemistry together, and they just seem so fitting for their characters; it's the type of film you can watch without thinking "oh hey, that's whatshisname!" throughout the whole thing because they just sound so natural. I really enjoyed Willem Dafoe as the oddly-Creol Rat, Michael Gambon as Bean, and Jarvis Cocker (who many may know as the former lead singer of Britpop band, Pulp) who has a small singer role as Petey, who looks like a caricature of himself. And to further the natural sounding voices, it's interesting to know that none of the voice work was actually recorded in a studio, instead Anderson opted to record in outside locations and such, and it really makes everything sound more believable despite seeing animal puppets on-screen.

Now that I've covered Anderson's hurdles of adapting, and moving to stop-motion, it's time to look at the most peculiar hurdle of them all, the PG rating. I'm always amazed when directors like Robert Rodriguez and Stephen Spielberg can go between gruesome rated R films and family friendly PG films so frequently without having any sort of hiccups, so it's interesting to see how Anderson went from five rated R films, to his first PG film, other than the fact that he adapted a children's book, in an animated format. There's a lot of peculiar dialog that you wouldn't expect from a film of this nature, like speaking of death, existentialism, alcoholism, and even the inclusion of characters that smoke (which is actually pretty much unseen in most children's media nowadays). Or for instance the word 'cuss' is used a lot in terms that would otherwise be wildly explicit, such as 'cluster-cuss,' 'are you cussing with me,' and 'what the cuss?' I'm sure you can get the gist of what they're trying to say there, and while I don't care, I'm sure many parents may not like the inclusion in what's targeted as a film for children.

The way I see it, Anderson made this film just like he would any other, but obviously changed the dialog and gave the film some wackiness thanks to the medium, so that it could be accessible to more people than just his usual fans. I think the way a lot of these more mature references are presented is so that adult viewers will get it, and the rest will just fly over kids' heads. When I saw the film, it was a primarily adult crowd, so I can't exactly say how kids will react, but everyone else seemed to be having a great time; I know I was having one.

Overall, I'd have to say, pardon me, but this film was FANTASTIC. It's an interesting case of a director known for sticking to the same style finally coming out of his comfort zone and creating something that feels familiar and yet is unlike anything done before. Fantastic Mr. Fox is certainly a new benchmark for Wes Anderson, having had mixed reviews on his last few films (though I liked them), and is certainly his most accessible film to date. When this releases nationwide next week, do yourself a favor and see this film, fan of Wes Anderson or not.

Overall Score: 9.6/10

Okay, don't give me that look, it may seem a bit biased, being that Wes Anderson is one of my favorite directors, but this is also my site. I will say, despite really liking all of Anderson's films, this film may actually be my new favorite of his. I'm not sure if it's the animation, or the cast, or the great soundtrack, but something about this film is just far more striking than anything else that Anderson has done before. What I really admire is just how well the movie was made despite being his first stop-motion feature (Life Aquatic had some stop-motion, but those segments were done by Henry Selick), while still retaining his signature film style. And despite being an adaptation, Anderson found a way to make it feel like it was all his own, while still being reasonably faithful to Roald Dahl's original book. Fantastic!

Funny People review

Judd Apatow is back for his third film in the director's chair; following 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin and 2007's Knocked Up. However, Apatow has produced and written many comedies in the past few years; does Funny People bring anything new to his film repertoire, or has the Apatow film formula finally run dry?

Funny People centers around three characters: legendary actor and comedian, George Simmons (Adam Sandler), deli worker and emerging stand-up comedian Ira Wright (Seth Rogen), and to an extent, George's ex, Laura (Leslie Mann). But thankfully the film doesn't throw all three stories at you at once, instead carefully utilizing its two and a half hour run-time for a finely organized, and enjoyable to watch film.

The first third of the film focuses on the relationship between George Simmons, a famous comedian who's life has taken a turn for the worst after being diagnosed with a form of leukemia, and Ira Wright, a comedian who just can't find the success that his two roommates (Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill) have found. After a rough night of stand-up, George Simmons contacts Ira to write some jokes for him, eventually forming a close relationship together, despite their different situations.

The later parts of the film introduce the character of Laura, George's one time lover, who has since moved on and started a family with her new husband, Clarke (Eric Bana). But much like George, she longs for what once was and tries to rekindle her past relationship. As said, the movie is quite long for a "comedy", clocking in at over two and a half hours, so there's quite a bit to take in and not a lot that I need to explain. But really what this comes down to is that the film isn't necessarily a comedy, as much as it is a drama about comedians, but with an overall real feeling.

What made Funny People surprisingly enjoyable for me was the cast. Personally, I had enough of both Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen based on their most recent work; but somehow, somewhere, they were hiding these completely different actors inside of them, playing roles unlike anything they've done before. I was really surprised by their performances, because seeing them interact was really fun and interesting, and not the boring chore it has been.

But that's not to say the supporting cast didn't also make the film great. While seldom seen, Jason Schwartzman's and Jonah Hill's performance were pretty amusing, more so Schwartzman, who played the hot shot friend, instead of the shy, quiet guy he usually plays. Eric Bana's character was also pretty funny, and I especially liked hearing him in his native Australian voice for once. However, I felt Leslie Mann's performance to be a little phoned in, and at the end of it all it seems like she only got the role because she's Apatow's wife... Also, there's a ton of cameo roles in the film from the likes of Norm MacDonald, Dave Attell, Andy Dick, Ray Romano, Eminem, and many others; which was neat to see.

In terms of cinematography, the film doesn't really offer anything new, but who's looking at a comedy for special effects? But what I personally enjoyed was all the extras touches included in the film, like the usage of old home-footage of Sandler as if it were old videos of George Simmons, the filming and posters scattered throughout the movie of fake Simmons films, as well as footage of Schwartzman's character's sitcom, Yo Teach!. It makes the already real feeling characters feel that much more real, and I appreciated the inclusion of such elements.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Funny People, and despite its length, thoroughly enjoyed it. If you go into this expecting a usual Adam Sandler or Judd Apatow produced film, you are going to be shocked at what you're getting into. While there are jokes to be had, this isn't a film for the usual stupid-man's humor, instead Funny People takes a much different approach to the comedy film, instead focusing on sadness and drama. Personally, I found the change to be more than welcome and I greatly enjoyed the film for what it was, a look at how real people react in real situations, regardless of their professions. As long as you can watch the film with that in mind, I'm sure you'll enjoy it, as it's certainly a step in the right direction.

Overall Score: 8.9/10