AltWeeklies Wire
'Frog' of the South: Disney's Song and Dance About a Black Princess Croaksnew
Six decades after unleashing persistent NAACP bugaboo Song of the South, and two after firmly suppressing it, that peculiar cultural institution known as the Walt Disney Company has made a symbolic reparation by creating its first African-American princess -- and plunking her down in the middle of Jim Crow–era Louisiana!
L.A. Weekly |
Scott Foundas |
11-30-2009 |
Reviews
'Planet 51' Mainly Succeeds at Reminding You of All the Better Movies That Inspired Itnew
Handsome doofus Chuck is a chip off the Buzz Lightyear block, and Planet 51 lacks Pixar polish (particularly in its writing). Still, it's not a bad knockoff.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian Miller |
11-23-2009 |
Reviews
Disregard the Crappy Marketing Campaign; 'A Christmas Carol' is an Enchanting Movienew
This is a surprisingly faithful adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, with a little 3-D whiz-bang thrown in for good measure. When the frantic sequences are squished together in a short preview trailer, they are just annoying. Within the film, effectively spread apart, the sequences become exhilarating.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
11-11-2009 |
Reviews
With 'Fantastic Mr. Fox,' Wes Anderson Finds His Genre: Animation
In Wes Anderson's hands, Roald Dahl's imaginative child's story takes on a meta significance as a human-development-coming-of-age story that applies across age groups, generations, social strata, and even species.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
11-09-2009 |
Reviews
Hollywood Product: '9'new
With so many computer-animated cartoon features devoted to pop-savvy kiddie comedies about talking animals, it's refreshing to see a CGI adventure with a unique vision. Acker's makeshift, Rube Goldberg-style inventions and landscapes can be fascinating. That said, 9 is PG-13 for a reason, and may be too intense for little kids and too dark for many adults.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
Hollywood Product: 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'new
Neither the character development nor the "human" animation prove appetizing. Otherwise, the film serves a fresh concept and eye-popping visuals, topped with some tasty one-liners and sight gags. Consider it an amuse bouche compared to one of Pixar's CGI main courses.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
'Cloudy' Opts for Offbeat Humor and Smart Characterizationnew
At the very least, parents can depend on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs to convey vital lessons, like large portions of food can squash you, and monkeys only think about mustaches and Gummi bears.
San Antonio Current |
Cynthia Hawkins |
09-17-2009 |
Reviews
'9': Puppets With Weaponsnew
The message of the mediocre 9: Evil is bad, but cuteness is awesome!
Tucson Weekly |
James DiGiovanna |
09-16-2009 |
Reviews
'Ponyo' Is Almost Perfectnew
Hayao Miyazaki's latest is glorious, and gloriously fun.
Eugene Weekly |
Molly Templeton |
09-11-2009 |
Reviews
It's a Battle of Thingamabob vs. Machine in '9'new
WALL-E would never get out alive in director Shane Acker's postapocalyptic hellscape.
L.A. Weekly |
Scott Foundas |
09-11-2009 |
Reviews
Post-Apocalyptic 'Stitchpunk' Goes Limp in '9'
At barely 80 minutes, 9 still feels too long for what it is; an expanded visual experimentation that might allow Shane Acker to finally put an old UCLA student project behind him.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-07-2009 |
Reviews
Elijah Wood Finds His Voice in '9'new
Wood has been doing voice-over work for films, television series, and video games for more than a dozen years.
The Georgia Straight |
Ian Caddell |
09-04-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Ancient Sorcery in 'Ponyo' is Exceptionally Suited to the Very Youngnew
For the first time since early Hayao Miyazaki works like My Neighbor Totoro or Kiki's Delivery Service, it is possible to bring your preschoolers to the theater without fear of frightening them.
Willamette Week |
Aaron Mesh |
08-12-2009 |
Reviews
'G-Force' is Less Fun Than a Gerbil Up the Heinienew
It's probably not surprising to learn that G-Force, the new 3D half-animated/half-real-life kids movie from Disney and über-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, isn't very good. It's noisy, crude, and nonsensical -- none of which is bad in and of itself -- but it's also insultingly stupid and not nearly funny enough.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-24-2009 |
Reviews
'Up': Such Great Heightsnew
Pixar's 10th movie is one of its best.
Eugene Weekly |
Molly Templeton |
07-16-2009 |
Reviews
