792. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Running Time: 103 minutes
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Written By: Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, from the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf
Main Cast: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy; (voices): Charles Fleischer, Kathleen Turner
Click here to view the trailer

ANIMATION MEETS REALITY

In case this entry didn't tip you off, I've decided to continue moving chronologically past the 90s and through the 80s as well. I realize we're not chronologically back to 1988 yet, but this was streaming and my wife wanted to watch it, so here we are.

The film is probably unlike anything you've ever seen, as it expertly blends animation and live action seamlessly. The film stars Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant, a private detective who's been hired by Maroon Cartoon Studios, to find out if Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Turner), wife of A-list toon Roger Rabbit (voiced by Fleischer), is cheating on him. It doesn't take long for Eddie to snap a few risque photos of Jessice with Marvin Acme ("risque" in Toon Town; in fact, the two are just seen playing patty cake together) and confirm Roger's suspicion, breaking his heart. The next day, Marvin Acme (of cartoon's famous Acme products) is found dead and all fingers point to Roger. However, Eddie has different suspicions, which are confirmed after he talks to Roger and realizes that the white rabbit is innocent. Meanwhile, Judge Doom is trying to rule Toontown with an iron fist and is rallying for Roger's immediate execution, as he's developed the only way possible to kill a toon. The film blends elements of film noir and of course, animation to create a movie that you won't soon forget. The really fun part, though, is spotting all the toons: everyone from Loony Tunes characters to Disney characters make cameo appearances.

Despite the fact that the film WILL stick with you and you won't soon forget it, it still is something that didn't leave me as giddy as I'd have been if I had seen it at a younger age. Sure, it's cute and sometimes funny, but for me - a twenty nine year old male - it just doesn't hold up and ultimately, I was waiting for this to be over, more than I was wanting it to last longer. The film tries very hard to appeal to both adults and children and succeeds on some levels, but I think it's going to be a case by case basis, as to whether or not the grown ups are going to like it. I, for one, could've done with it's exclusion, but that's just me. On the other hand, I totally get WHY it was included and am more than willing to admit that it's expertly done. In a day when CGI and 3D are run of the mill, it's really hard to see any flaws with this animation work and it's interaction with live action subjects. I think I've said my peace on this one, so lets call that a short review.

RATING: 5.5/10  Better than average, but not by much. Like I said, don't take my griping to heart. I get it if you love it and I certainly wouldn't detract anyone from seeing this for the first time.

MOVIES WATCHED: 773
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 228

December 2, 2013  6:24pm

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869. Forrest Gump (1994)

Running Time: 142 minutes
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Written By: Eric Roth, from novel by Winston Groom
Main Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field
Click here to view the trailer

STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES

I think I've mentioned it before, but I'll mention it again: I've been sort of jumping all over the place, yet staying in the same, general area, never moving further than a year away from where I'm supposed to be. The few movies I've just recently watched are from 1994, while I still have two from 1995, which I plan to take care of soon. Anyway, "Forrest Gump"...

If you've never seen "Forrest Gump" then you must have been living under a rock for the past twenty years. It's one of the most popular movies to come out of Hollywood in that same amount of time and stars Tom Hanks as the title character, whom we first see sitting on a bus stop bench, waiting for the #9 bus. As he sits on the bench, a suitcase and a box of chocolates in tow, he recounts his life story to anyone within earshot. It's apparent from the beginning that Forrest isn't up to snuff mentally, but that doesn't stop him and his mother makes sure he's well cared for. In fact, Forrest has an IQ of 75, just below the average marker, but his "mama" makes sure he gets to go to public school, with all the other kids his age. On the bus, he meets Jenny, a girl his age who allows him to sit with her, despite other kids making fun of him and despite leg braces which are meant to straighten his back. From that point on, Forrest and Jenny are like "peas & carrots", inseparable and best friends. Through the years, the two stay in touch, despite taking very separate paths in life. While Forrest becomes a model citizen - going to college on a football scholarship, joining the Army & fighting in Vietnam, being given the Medal of Honor, participating in the Olympics as an expert ping pong player, meeting three U.S. Presidents, Elvis & John Lennon and becoming a millionaire in the shrimping business - Jenny (Wright) becomes an unsuccessful part of counterculture, joining the hippie movement and doing heavy experimenting with drugs. The film also stars Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan Taylor and Sally Field as Mrs. Gump.

Who doesn't love "Forrest Gump", at least a little bit? Oh, I'm sure there's someone out there who can't stand Hanks' performance, the fact that it beat "Pulp Fiction" and "The Shawshank Redemption" for Best Picture or the overly sensitive directing of Robert Zemeckis. But it's such an easy picture to get lost in. Was Tom Hanks brilliant? I think so. Did it deserve the "big award" over the two aforementioned films? Nope. The honor should've gone to "Pulp" in my opinion and then "Shawshank", but I think we can all agree that 1994 was just a kick ass year for movies. Did the film go overboard on the sensitivity, just a little bit? Yes, it sure did...but, like I said, just a little bit. Actually, it didn't even bother me, but I can admit that it was just a little too sappy. I liked it, as I embraced the water welling up in the corners of my eyes during so many scenes. However, I think we all can admit that there's a big audience out there for sappy films like this and in that respect, it did what it set out to do. Not only did it blend comedy and drama perfectly, but it also scored home runs with it's score and it's performances. It also gave everyone something to identify with, with it's frequent uses of placing it's main character into the center of pop culture and U.S. history, with clever camera tricks that saw Forrest Gump sit side by side with the like of Lennon and Nixon. It made you feel each decade, not only with it's use of Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, but also through the images on the screen. I wasn't born in the 70s, but the film gives me a little taste of what it might have been like.

This picture was a big deal when I was growing up. I still remember all the hubbub about "Forrest Gump", Tom Hanks and everyone involved. I remember seeing it for the first time with my parents, on VHS rental and loving it. It's a film that I almost always forget to mention when I talk about my favorite films, but I fall in love with every time I watch it, remembering why I love it and forgetting why I consider it a guilty pleasure. Why do I consider "Gump" a guilty pleasure? Oh, that's right. Because the cool kids don't like "Gump", the film snobs seem to look down on "Gump" and anything else that seems to get any sort of recognition and that rolls down the Hollywood carpet. If you want to keep your fancy film buff card, then you have to denounce "Gump" and embrace the classic and the foreign. Well, I love classics, I love foreign and I love Gump.

RATING: 10/10  Not gonna' be the popular choice, but that's okay. Paired with "Crumb", this was just what the doctor ordered to reinvigorate me and get me back in the game.

MOVIES WATCHED: 741
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 260

October 11, 2013  5:27pm

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727. Back to the Future (1985)

Running Time: 116 minutes
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Written By: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Main Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
Click here to view the trailer

GREAT SCOTT!

Well, I told you all I needed to self induce a good movie and that meant a trip to my DVD shelf and the pulling off of "Back to the Future". I've been a fan of this entire trilogy since I saw it as a teenager and I knew this would be just the thing to get the motor running - not unlike a canister full of plutonium!

The film's plot is quite intricate and super clever, especially considering the film is straight out of Hollywood, meant for the whole family and the inspiration for a theme park ride at Disney World. Marty McFly (Fox) is a typical teenager: he's got a girlfriend, he's normally late for school, he digs playing the electric guitar and he's pretty coordinated on a skate board. His best friend is NOT a school chum, but rather Emmett "Doc" Brown (Lloyd), a mad scientist, who, upon films opening, has successfully invented time travel through the use of a DeLorean DMC-12. On the night that Doc invents time travel, however, he is gunned down by a group of Libyan terrorists, who do so because he stole their plutonium (needed to fuel the time machine). In an attempt to get away from the Libyans, Marty inadvertently travels back to the year 1955, the same year his parents were his age. This is just the beginning as Marty's mother (who, of course, doesn't know him yet) falls in love with him. With his mother now infatuated by another man, Marty has to get his parents to fall in love or else risk erasing the existence of he and his sibling. Marty also tracks down Doc Brown, as he has no plutonium left to make the DeLorean run, therefore unable to return to 1985, unless the Doc can figure out an alternative means.

SPOILER ALERT!

While looking over this film, I saw a comment that said "If you didn't like this film, then you just must not be ready for it yet. But your kids are gonna love it!". I say, if you didn't like this film, no matter your age, I'm flabbergasted, as it has elements that can easily appeal to both young and old. I mean, the story alone is so intricate and so clever that I just don't see how anyone couldn't at least get a kick out of it, let alone adore it. You've got the initial half hour or so, which sets up a lot of what we'll hear more about later - the meeting story of George and Lorraine, Mayor Goldie Wilson, Biff and his bullying of George, Uncle Joey - jailbird, the whole thing with the clock tower, etc, etc - there's just tons of stuff crammed into that first thirty  minutes, that we get to see played on later and stuff that you don't even think about that ends up either being a big plot point or just a subtle "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" moment. The film is filled with little subtleties. For instance, the news report at the beginning with the reporting of stolen plutonium and then a quick shot of the plutonium under Doc's furniture. I just can't go on enough about how genius this movie is and it totally sweeps me away every time. Not only is it clever, but it's also SO FREAKING SUSPENSEFUL. I still question whether or not Doc Brown is going to get that plug plugged in before Marty reaches the trip wire, at the end of the film! That's the sign of a good "edge of your seat" moment; when you've seen something countless times and still wonder what's going to happen.

I'm not sure what the general consensus is on Michael J. Fox, but I thought he was great in this. If you read into the history of "Back to the Future" you'll see that originally Eric Stoltz was cast and there's even a picture in existence of Stoltz and Lloyd during the original time machine test. Later, Stoltz was dropped and Family Ties allowed Fox to join the production. I don't know about you, but I can't imagine this film with anyone other than Fox. Oh and don't forget about Christopher Lloyd (a personal favorite of mine since his days as "Iggy" on Taxi), Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson, probably one of my favorite villains in all of film. I don't know about you guys, but I kind of wish they'd included "Back to the Future" as a whole, like they did with "The Lord of the Rings". As it is, THE BOOK only includes Part One, however all three of the films are just as good as the first (in my opinion and a rarity considering sequels usually stink) and are all tied together by "to be continued" credits. Seriously though, if you've never seen this do yourself a favor and shoot it to the top of your Netflix queue like right now and look forward to two hours of a fantastically fun time at the movies!

RATING: 8.5/10  I can't go whole hog here, just because the film is just a little TOO Hollywood for my tastes. But who cares about ratings - this is a great movie and what I needed to get reinvested in forthcoming films.

MOVIES WATCHED: 723
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 278

September 3, 2013  11:42am

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