6. Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Code-name: Hugo Stiglitz
[cue guitar solo]

Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino
Type: historical fiction, drama

Cast:
Lt. Aldo Raine- Brad Pitt
"The Jew Hunter" Col. Hans Landa- Christoph Waltz
Shoshanna- Melanie Laurent
Fredrick Zoller- Daniel Bruhl
Bridget Von Hammersmark- Diane Kruger
"The Bear Jew" Sgt. Donny Donowitz- Eli Roth
Lt. Archie Hicox- Michael Fassbender
Utivich- B.J. Novak
Hugo Stiglitz- Til Schweiger

Notable Awards and Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz
nomination- OSCAR- Best Picture*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Original Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Director- Quentin Tarantino*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Film Editing*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Sound Mixing*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Sound Editing*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Cinematography (lost to "Avatar")
Golden Globe- Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Picture- Drama (lost to "Avatar")
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Director- Quentin Tarantino (lost to "Avatar")
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino (lost to "Up in the Air")
nomination-Grammy- Best Compilation Soundtrack for Film or TV
*lost to "The Hurt Locker"

Write-up:
With the exception of next week's Tarantino movie, I guess you could file the rest of my countdown under gateway movies.

Gateway movie (n)- Films that introduced me to new people (either in acting, writing or directing) whose work I enjoyed so much, I couldn't help following up with their other projects

Case in point (per this entry): Quentin Tarantino

I really didn't know who he was before this movie, although I'd heard the name a few times.
Based on the premise, Brad Pitt taking on the Nazis in WWII [something that's already a very heavy topic], I gave it a shot and wound up getting much more than I bargained for.
And I mean that as an absolute compliment.You could easily judge my reaction and conclude this was my first Tarantino film because I had no idea what to expect. That his writing was wicked smart and more cutting edge than most dared to go.

It's funny... my dad and I saw this movie pretty much the same day from two completely different locations. I was in the comfort of our family room, he was chilling out in-flight in first class. Literally the day after I saw it on HBO or whatever, he emailed us and said he saw it in-flight.
Right away, it was clear it'd become another one of those movies we enjoy watching together (sometimes with other family members because it is just that good).
And it was also clear how much we loved to hate the film's villain.

FROM THIS POINT THIS SPOILERS WILL BE PROLIFIC

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The Villain
I'd never seen or heard of Christoph Waltz before this movie and, sadly, my dad and I might never see him as anything but Hans Landa. From the very first time he appears on screen, he has us eating out of his hands.

This isn't just your run-of-the-mill bad guy. He is COMPLEX. He takes his job very seriously, but not to the degree where he has a clichéd superiority complex. He's a gentleman, but at the same time, he does have his mean streak. Often times, he'll strike so quickly that his victims have zero reaction time.Probably the one thing that wins me over every time: he is extremely eloquent (in all FOUR languages he speaks, French, English, German and Italian). Just one of those great voices I enjoy listening to, but there's always that reminder in the back of my head that he is THE bad guy.I dare you to find a movie villain comeuppance THIS enjoyable... we're always cheering in the end when Aldo Raine gives him, you know, a little something he can never take off

The Heroes

The gripping first chapter of this five chapter story ends with Hans Landa and his comrades taking out a Jewish family that he rooted out of hiding.
The only member to survive, who he oddly enough lets escape, is the eldest daughter, Shoshanna.
We will catch up with her four years later where she's running a small cinema in France under the name Emmanuelle Mimieux. Chapter 2 introduces to our titular troop of Jewish American Nazi killers. They're led by Tennessee native Lt. Aldo Raine, a character Brad Pitt inexplicably disappears into. His opening monologue is as about as compelling as Hans Landa's, but he ups the ante with a wicked sense of humor.

Their initial goal is to kill and scalp as many Nazis as they can find. Those they leave alive to "send a message" to Hitler and his followers, they mark their foreheads with a swastika. But as the movie progresses, their efforts shift to something much bigger.... taking out the top officials of the Third Reich to end the war.
It just so happens that their plan, Operation Kino, crosses paths with something Shoshanna came up-- burning down the building on Nazi night, therein getting revenge for her family.

Story and Details
Ah, those details... the costumes and makeup are historically accurate, the set pieces are spot on and every detail included is so tangible, you can almost reach out and touch it with your five senses.
One prime example: Hans Landa orders strudel for Shoshanna at a fancy restaurant (this is an "interview" regarding her cinema prior to Nazi night...she knows who he is, but luckily, he has no idea about her) and the camera focuses on the food and how the cream is garnished on top. Can almost reach out and smell/taste it.

The movie night comes about when Joseph Goebbels (who was behind a lot of real-life Nazi propaganda) wants to have a screening for his new film: Nation's Pride.
It features the war exploits of sniper-turn-war hero Fredrick Zoller. He was stationed in a bell tower for three days where he took out 250+ people.

His original plan was to show it at the Ritz, but the venue changes when Fredrick falls in love with Shoshanna. Throughout Chapter 3 of the story, he meets her in front of her cinema and proceeds to stalk her until she agrees to host the movie at her place.

Admittedly, he is a very good looking man that you think it'd be hard to say "no" to... but given everything she and her family went through with the Nazis, it would be impossible for Shoshanna to return his feelings. Not to mention she's in a relationship with her projectionist, Marcel.

Not only does Shoshanna decide to commit arson with her own building, but she decides to make a film that'll intersect with "Nation's Pride" to develop one final message.

It's interesting to note throughout the film, when the spoken language suddenly changes (i.e. chapter 1: English to French, chapter 4: German to English), you know there will be blood.
The case is also true here. Up to this point, "Nation's Pride" was in German... then with Shoshanna's film, she spoke in English... very dramatic stuff that really changes the tone of the entire scene.

Tarantino is noted for his excessive body counts, but there were a couple of spots in this movie where I almost wish that wasn't the case.
Chapter 4 involves German actress Bridget Von Hammersmark meeting a couple of the Basterds to discuss Operation Kino. Much to Aldo's annoyance, the rendezvous takes place in a basement.
They had no idea there would be Nazis on premise (men given the night off to celebrate one becoming a father and a higher-ranked officer hiding in the shadows) and things wind up so badly, only two survive:

Bridget Von Hammersmark and the new father, Wilhelm.

All because Michael Fassbender (I had no idea it was him until this movie review because in 2009, nobody really knew him yet) blew his German by ordering three glasses




 instead of three glasses


and rumor is that Michael Fassbender encountered a lot of people who flashed him the "German three" as to not let him forget that.
So after all the bloodshed, Aldo Raine talks Wilhelm into lowing his weapons (as to not engage a Mexican standoff)... and Bridget Von Hammersmark, after being so nice to him and talking him into lowing his weapon, shoots him dead...
That was always such a WTF moment for me. Sure, he called her an "f$%&ing traitor" beforehand, but that still felt uncalled for.
Things also end darkly for Shoshanna and Fredrick Zoller. For a moment, I felt as if they could work things out, that she could learn to trust him, it can only end in them killing one another. Again, I can understand why because of their personalities, but it's gut-wrenching. Especially in the super slow motion with the sappy music in the background.

It appears that most of the music was taken from other sources, so there is no official "composer" for this movie.

My favorite contribution, hands down, opens the final chapter: Revenge of the Giant Face.
Featuring David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"... it's the most current of all the music included in this movie, and you'd think it'd be out of place... it works amazingly well.
We own one of his albums, but it didn't have the same version as featured in the movie.
I guess I'll just have to dig through iTunes for it because it is pretty amazing.
Also part of the reason why I thought "Love is the drug" (featured in "Suckerpunch") was another David Bowie track because it reminded me so much of this.

One final note: as a fan of The Office, it was kinda cool to see B.J. Novak in this movie, even if he had a small role.
And Hugo Stiglitz, he got his own 3 minute introduction. He was a legendary Jew killer that got captured by the SS, who intended to make an example out of him, but later got sprung by the Basterds to join their ranks.

Coming Soon

My review for "The Judge" will be up momentarily.

Other than that, I have one another Tarantino movie to review...

33. The DaVinci Code (2006)

Code-name: SangRael
("It means... royal blood"... it's also derived from the French for "Holy Grail")

Director: Ron Howard
Composer: Hans Zimmer [which was nominated for a Golden Globe]
Type: book-to-movie adaptation, drama, thriller, historical fiction

Cast:
Robert Langdon- Tom Hanks
Sophie Neveu- Audrey Tautou
Lee Teabing- Ian McKellan
Captain Bezu Fache- Jean Reno
Silas- Paul Bettany
Opus Dei Bishop Manuel Aringarosa- Alfred Molina
Remy, Teabing's butler- Jean-Yves Berteloot

Write-up:

As far as religion goes, I'm as casual a Christian as you can get. We were friends with a church-going family and because the patriarch was a reverend, we went a couple times. It never took for me... just a whole lot of reading Bible verses and singing hymns, everyone in the room seeming like they knew them by heart...

But on my own time, I have read my Bible on occasion. One December, I read the first four books of the New Testament and wrote down my favorite verses. And every now and then, I pray to myself, especially when it's over something I'm stressed or worried about.

So... as far as reinterpreting what you thought you knew about the Holy Book, "The DaVinci Code" caught a lot of people's attention. Practically my dad. I think it was one of those many books he bought at an airport, alongside several Tom Clancy, John Grisham and Jack Reacher novels over the years.
I remember him raving about it and even convinced my mom and I read it and the prequel, "Angels and Demons."

With "Angels & Demons," I found it kinda boring compared to "The DaVinci Code," but I loved the movie adaptation. The only negative was that Ewan McGregor wound up being the villain... buzz-kill.

After reading the book, my dad and I saw this in theaters. For a moment, I thought I might have the ticket stub, but I was mistaken. It was May of 2006 and it was a thrilling experience from start to finish.
The only other comments I have to add as far as impressions go; I totally missed the big reveal about Sophie in the book... do not remember that coming up at all. And there was one part of the Prior of Scion scene that I looked forward to seeing play out in the movie, but it never did :( still kinda disappointed about that, but I'll go into more detail later.

Once my SPOILER ALERT warning is posted...

Ok, here we go... for the record, reading the book does help, but unlike with my YA sci-fi/fantasy books that I adhere to like my life depends on them (as if my entries don't already give that away, lol), I'm not demanding it as a prerequisite.
I only read it once in 2005 during my senior year of high school, so I don't remember much, but it was fast-paced and intriguing all at the same time.

Premise

The story begins with a dramatic murder that takes place in the Louvre afterhours. Before the victim dies, he scribbles down a message and turns himself into a replication of Leonardo DaVinci's "Vitruvian Man".

At the same time, Harvard symbology professor, Robert Langdon is giving a lecture about how symbols have been used over the years in different contexts. Like how some symbols thought to represent evil were once used for good. Posiden's trident being mistaken for Devil's pitchfork and a swastika once being a symbol of peace.
During a book singing for his "Sacred Feminine," he's called down to the murder scene by Detective Bezu Fache... unaware this was to force a confession, opposed to using his expertise to determine the real killer.

While there, Langdon also meets detective Sophie Neveau, who shows him the complete murder scene (Fache wiped some of the evidence for his own agenda) and tells him how the victim, Jacques Sauniere was her grandfather.

The message read:
Oh draconian devil, oh lame saint
P.S. Find Robert Langdon
and a set of numbers, when pieced together, make up the Fibonacci sequence
[1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21]
Sophie also reveals "P.S." stands for "Princess Sophie" and believes they needed to meet for some important reason.

Besides symbology, Langdon's specialty is puzzles and anagrams, and he determines that the "draconian devil" bit translated to "Leonardo DaVinci The Mona Lisa".
A few clues later, they find a key with a fleur de lis (the crest of the Priory of Scion) and their quest begins.

At first, we think it's about finding Jacques Sauniere's killer, but it winds up being about Sophie and who she really is.

Casting

For whatever reason (my mom thinks it has to do with his previous work on "Bosom Buddies" and "Forrest Gump"), my dad does not like Tom Hanks, so he was skeptical about his casting as the lead for this film.
He's not still his favorite actor, but he thought he did a respectable job in these movies.
Then again, the detective work and treasure hunting were probably the biggest things he took away from it.
All around, Tom Hanks is just one of those actors that are really nice guys and have a good range they can work. He does comedies and dramas both really well and he isn't a bad voice actor either.

Other people considered for the same role were Bill Paxton (who dropped out), Russell Crowe (who'd worked with Ron Howard on the Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind"), Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Jackman and George Clooney.
I can kinda see (and hear) George Clooney doing this role, but otherwise, I don't think anyone else could have done it better. Tom Hanks has kinda solidified in my mind as this impressive character.

Speaking of "A Beautiful Man," Paul Bettany was cast as the murderer, Silas. I find it a little comical that he does full posterior negativity in this movie... between this and "A Knight's Tale" (where I saw him and Heath Ledger for the first time), you'd think it was a thing for him. How he's unable to keep his clothes on.
But unlike "A Knight's Tale," where Jeffrey Chaucer had a gambling problem and kept losing his clothes, Silas goes full nude (always from behind) for a brutal purpose specific to his faith.

Oh, how they ran all those news pieces afterwards about how Opus Dei isn't as brutal a sect as it's portrayed on this film. They're die-hard Christians in more ways than one. For this specific point, like Silas, some of them wear a cilice (a barbed leg brace that they periodically tighten) and whip themselves. The point is to suffer as Jesus suffered.
Too hardcore for my tastes and luckily for this film, we only have to endure one instance of self-flagellation. Gotta give it up to Paul Bettany, he really does go all out for his acting.

The only other actor I knew going into this was Ian McKellan... from being a "Lord of the Rings" fan, obviously. Of course, for Langdon's British colleague who happens (for the sake of this plot) to be a "Grail scholar," you needed an actor of great respect and esteem. For this specific role, he is such a delight to watch. So into his expertise about The Holy Grail.
As fate would have it (or not, depending on which point you are in the story), four murders were committed within the past several hours. All of them happened to be the current highest ranking officials of the Priory... who keep the truth about the Holy Grail. Jacques Sauniere was the GrandMaster of them all.

As for everyone else, I believe I saw Jean Reno in a "National Treasure" film... a great actor I should see more of because he has a great presence on screen. (Interestingly, Dan Brown said he wrote for Detective Fache with him in mind... gotta love it how stuff works out that way).
Alfred Molina, I know well as Dr. Ock from "Spiderman 2," probably my favorite of the trilogy.

Audrey Tautou, I haven't seen in any other movie. I know she was the lead in "Amelie" and she also played Coco Chanel in a biopic, but for the most part, she's a French actress who sticks to a lot of French films.
Supposedly, Ron Howard fought hard to convince her to do this part, so he must have been a huge fan.

Funny how the movies he directs are so serious and so well made and Ron Howard's career started with making us laugh on "Happy Days." I'd only just started the series last year.

Twists and Turns

The book (and movie) have lots of twists. You kinda need to keep on your toes and if you're religious in any way, it helps to keep an open mind.

My dad got into it because it involves figuring out puzzles, but also because it's history reinterpreted. He had to point out on the first couple pages, how it said the story's based on true events. Alongside him, I can't help but be convinced the events in this story might have some truth to them.

The key leads them to a Swiss Bank account, which leads them to a box decorated with the image of a rose. Inside the box is a cryptex. With the right five letter code, you can release the papyrus inside. Get it wrong or force it open and you unleash a bottle of vinegar inside that erases the messages.
And of course, while all this is going on, Landgon and Sophie are fugitives from law and have to keep pace to avoid Fache, notorious for his unwillingness to give up. Lots of great chase scenes, one of which Langdon and Sophie in a Smart car :-P one of the best scenes in the movie.

The dialogue runs fast so it helps to pay attention because every now and then, you find nuggets of hilarity.
One comes in a conversation with Teabing where they talk about the symbols for spear (^) and chalice (v) stand for male and female. And Teabing says something like "[in the military] the more penises you have, the higher your rank".

Probably my favorite scene in the book is the conversation he and Langdon have, talking about the Holy Grail and stuff. But I remembered it reading differently. I think in the book, he and Langdon were in agreement, adding onto each other's thoughts. In the movie, it comes off more as arguing.

So... the big truth that could possibly destroy the Church if revealed... and supposedly the murders happened to prevent the members of the Priory from doing so...
The Holy Grail isn't the famous chalice, but a chalice in other right. Chalice meaning female because it is the shape of the womb. And it points to one woman in particular, Jesus's companion, Mary Magdalene. (Yeah, whenever The Bible namedropped her, the word "prostitute" was common... apparently to discredit this). Not only was she in DaVinci's The Last Supper, but word is that she was carrying the "royal bloodline" at the time of the Crucifixion.

A very controversial notion because somehow Jesus having a bloodline makes him seem... well, human, opposed to miracle-working son of God.
That and the fact she was the one that was supposed to carry on the Church instead of Saint Peter.
Oh yeah, according to old school Christians, it's like "oh God forbid a woman be in charge of the church"...

Don't worry, I'm not one of those feminists that go crazy about inequality of women and such. But it's one of those reasons why I'm not really big on organized religion.
I haven't read enough of the Bible to see any passages about the supposed "evils" of homosexuality, but that's another one of those things.
I got really worked up a couple years ago when I became acquainted with the "pray the gay away" program... within a couple months of each other, I heard two stories about people (one is one of my best friends) who went through the program and they contemplated suicide because it didn't help them.

The biggest mystery that had to be solved was about Sophie. She was raised by her grandfather, on a lot of puzzles and cryptexes, but left home when she was a teenager. This is hinted at throughout the movie, as is a time in Langdon's childhood when he almost drowned in a well... the reason why he's so claustrophobic

The clue hiding under the rose on the box led them to Westminister Abbey to visit the tomb of another Priory of Scion member, Sir Isaac Newton. Something about an orb that ought to be on a tomb... and that's the answer to the cryptex.

During the course of this, we find out who the true villain of the story is and why Silas was sent on this murderous rampage. And Detective Fache does come to realize he was wrong about Langdon and arrives in time to arrest the right man.

The final clue leads Langdon and Sophie to where the tomb of Mary Magdalene might be.
And the truth about Sophie comes out at Rosslyn Church.

Supposedly Sophie was the only member of her family to survive a car accident and Sauniere wasn't her biological grandfather.
The only part of that spectacular scene that I really missed in the movie was the other reveal that Sophie's brother was alive. The man that greets them at the Church was supposed to be him, but they decided, apparently, that the movie was long enough where the detail was unimportant. :-?

The Score

Although I wouldn't commit his name to memory until seeing a movie further down this list, I'd been unknowingly impressed by Hans Zimmer for years.
His score for "The DaVinci Code" has a lot of range to go with the various pacing of the different scenes. But for me personally, the piece that plays in the last minutes of the movie has as much lasting power as my favorite themes... like "Star Wars" and "Jurassic Park"...

The scene is where Langdon has an epiphany about Mary Magdalene. Her sarcophagus wasn't at the church, but might still lay under the rose....or in this case, the Rose-line" that runs through Paris, marking the original Prime Meridian.
With the final riddle being read by him in a voice over, he takes a nightly stroll back to the beginning of our story... at the Louvre. He kneels before it with the camera zooming under the surface to the casket. And the final shot is of him before the screen goes black.

I get chills every time I think about it. The man's got serious musical talent. So you can be sure he'll come up more as my countdown continues.

Next Week

It's a special moment when an actor or actress makes such a strong impression on me that I follow through other movies on their resumes.
While my next movie isn't the first time I saw this actress, it made sure that me and so many other people (including the Hollywood Foreign Press with a nomination) would not be forgetting her anytime soon.

And it's one of many examples of why theatrical trailers are something I swear by...
Behind franchises (based on books and/or the sci-fi/fantasy genre) and actors I go out of my way to research, they're the biggest reason I go to movies. And 9 times out of 10, the end result is worth the $7. 8-)

38. Mulan (1998)

Code-name: Mushu

Directors: Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook
Type: animation, historical, dramedy, nostalgia
Music: Jerry Goldsmith

Cast:
Fa Mulan- Ming-Na Wen
Mulan (singing voice)- Lea Salonga
Mushu- Eddie Murphy
Fa Zhou- Soon Tek-Oh
Fa Li- Freda Foh Shen
Grandma- June Foray
Grandma (singing voice)- Marni Nixon (of "Sound of Music" & "My Fair Lady" fame!!)
Matchmaker- Miriam Margolyes
Shan Yu- Miguel Ferrer
Chi Fu- James Hong
Li Shang- BD Wong
Shang (singing voice)- Donny Osmond
Ling- Gedde Watanbe
Chen Po- Jerry S. Tondo
Yao- Harvey Fierstein
The Emperor- Pat Morita

Notable Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Original Score  (Jerry Goldsmith)
Golden Globe- Best Original Score
Golden Globe- Best Original Song ("Reflection" by Matthew Wilder & David Zippel)
Grammy- Best Song For a Movie Picture ("Be True to Your Heart" by Wilder & Zippel)

Write-up:

Trip Down Memory Lane

Around the time this movie came out, I'd say it's one of the last instances where I can say something is "nostalgic" for me. Anything that comes after 1998 won't fit that description.
Some people refer to it as part of the end of the Disney "Renaissance" era. After "Mulan" and "Tarzan," probably the last two animated non-Pixar theatrical releases Disney heavily promoted to the nth degree... more than a decade later, we got "Tangled" and "Frozen" where it's safe to say once again that Disney is back on track.

If I remember right, I saw this in theater with my mom, sister and Teresa, my best friend at the time... I saw a couple of movies with her between 1998-2002, including "Godzilla," "Pokémon the movie 2000" and "Drive me Crazy"...
The battle scene in the mountains was super impressive on the big screen.

Nowadays, young girls are still singing "Let it go" into their hairbrushes. "Reflection" was that song for me... except I never did the hairbrush thing... I sing in the shower. Or at least I used to :-P heck, if I sing anymore, it's to the radio in the car.
But yeah, that was one of my favorite songs at that particular time. Around the same time (likely after I saw this movie), I bought my first CD and it was Christina Aguilera's. I enjoyed maybe half of the songs on it and I still have it to this day. I stopped being a fan of her music when she decided to move past the "prepackaged Britney Spears-esque" pop in favor of artistic freedom. I don't know why... maybe because I find her runs and holding the big notes annoying. I do love her as a judge on "The Voice"... so long as she doesn't make it all about her or try to turn her female contestants into a new version of herself.

The reason I go into that tangent is because this movie was credited with launching her career. Supposedly after she recorded "Reflection," she got signed to her first record deal.

The Story

This was another instance of Disney dabbling in historical renderings, but handled a little better than "Pocahontas"... more than a little better...

The story, for those who don't know, is that Mulan is a woman that disguises herself as a man to take her father's place in the Chinese Imperial Army.
But unlike in the film, which made it a dramatic plot point, her true identity wasn't discovered until years after she left the army and her comrades came looking for her.

In the movie, they expanded upon the plot to add more motivation for Mulan's actions. Prior to the Huns invading China, she fails to impress the matchmaker, which is deemed the only way a woman can bring honor to her family. She takes her ailing veteran father's place, believing this can only result in his death, but also to find another to redeem herself.

Then there's the storyline of the dragon, former Fa family guardian, Mushu. The ancestors are up in arms when Mulan runs away and he's asked to awaken "the great stone dragon," the most powerful of the guardians... something he fails miserably at, so he decides to take it upon himself to make Mulan a war hero to get back in the ancestor's good graces.

So many shenanigans go down at the training camp, which is being led by the General Li's son, Shang. Mulan (disguised as the young man "Ping") is one of several undisciplined rag-tags, but soon enough, she gains their friendship.
Then of course, she starts to fall in love with her commanding officer, which could (and does) makes things potentially awkward down the road.

The Highlights

As far as Disney animation goes, "Mulan" probably has the funniest script I know. With "Aladdin," The Genie has nearly all of the best lines thanks to the improvisational nature of Robin Williams. But with "Mulan," we have more personalities than just Eddie Murphy as Mushu... although there's no denying he's the biggest source of comic relief. Both on his own and with the cricket as if they were a comedy duo.

Colorful cast of characters, particularly the three men Mulan befriends in the army. They're idiots... well, two of three are definitely idiots, but they gain the discipline in the training needed to do great things further down the road.
Ling is the biggest of the idiots, a bit of a klutz.
Chen-Po is the biggest of the guys, probably has the biggest heart too, and although he's peace-loving, he comes through in a pinch when it matter.
Yao is the hot-headed one :-P easily my favorite of the three on Harvey Fierstein's voice alone... it makes everything he says sound hilarious and you can't not mimic him.

It also has a great story about finding yourself, gaining self-worth and making a difference in the name of those you care about. Mulan's been wrongly tagged as one of the "Disney Princesses," but of all the female Disney characters, she's the strongest and probably one of the better role models. Instead of waiting for her prince, she goes out to make her own path to finding her destiny. It just so happens she finds love along the way... not in a prince, but in a Chinese Army captain.

Speaking of Shang, he's one of the best looking male characters Disney has alongside Aladdin. Probably the biggest difference between the two is how they hold themselves. Shang, being the General's son, wants to prove himself as an authority figure and does a damn good job of it. And it has nothing to do with the fact he looks hot with no shirt... okay, that has something to do with it :-P
It also says a lot of his character that even when Mulan is revealed to be a woman, he doesn't carry out the decided "punishment" because he wanted to repay his debt to her for saving his life.

Other great characters also include:
Chi Fu, the emperor's head adviser who's dutied with overseeing the training camp... he's so uptight and such a brown noser, making it all the more funny when fun is made at his expense by the other troops.
Mulan's grandma, who wins our hearts earlier on with some wise-cracking moments, but some sentimental ones as well. And in the last five minutes, she probably has one of the best lines in the entire movie regarding Shang.

Shan-Yu makes a pretty good villain, looking all menacing with his size and a Falcon as his animal side-kick that accentuate his terrifying image.

Last but not least, you can't leave out the Emperor. Yeah, it might be a little politically incorrect that he was played by Japanese actor Pat Morita, but he brings a sense of class to this role as well as some heart.

Soundtrack

Probably one of the better Disney soundtracks. All of the songs had their place in the story. They have range from being dramatic to upbeat to just plain funny. "Reflection" is one of the best written character themes Disney has.
I still kinda prefer Lea Salonga's version because it's the actual movie version and she's great in everything she does for Disney (she did Jasmine in "Aladdin" as well). This is also a reminder of how much it irks me that the movie version and the end credits version of a song have different lyrics... seriously, why do they do this? They at least learned this lesson with "Let it go," but that doesn't excuse picking Demi Levato to sing it when it's clearly Idina Menzel's shining moment.

The same can be said about "Be True to Your Heart," which is a Stevie Wonder/98° collaboration in the credits... when Disney Mania remade it with Raven-Symone, they changed the lyrics almost completely... what is the point of us memorizing song lyrics if you're not going to be consistent?

Of course I can't go into this without bringing up Donny Osmond who does Shang's singing voice. Aside from Eddie Murphy and Pat Morita, that's the biggest star power this movie has. Also kinda adds to the charm of the character because Donny Osmond was as big as it got back in day. Just as many girls had posters of him as they did David Cassidy... luckily, Donny maintained his good looks :-P

Sequels and Other Renderings

Sadly, this was one of many successful Disney movies that got a sequel... something they often don't do a good job of.
"Mulan 2" features Mulan and Shang, who are engaged, protecting three princesses who've been matched with husbands. They end up falling in love with Ling, Yao and Chen-Po. Overall, the storyline is decent... except for what they did with Mushu. It's bad enough Eddie Murphy didn't stick around to do his voice...
well, actually, according to the trivia, Eddie Murphy had to pull out cuz his contract to the "Shrek 2" wouldn't let him... but that's beside the point. His storyline is that because Mulan is going to marry into another family and she's the last of the Fa family, there's no need for him anymore. So he tries to break up her engagement for his own selfish reasons.

In the "Kingdom Hearts" franchise, Mushu was a summoning gem in the first game.

In the sequel, "Land of Dragons" was the first world and its storyline was based on this movie. Mulan's enrolling into the army and our protagonists, Sora, Donald and Goofy enlist to help her fit in. The gameplay is a little difficult at first because the success of the first few tasks is based on keeping morale up by picking up orbs from defeated enemies... in addition to not dying. But it's a good start into the game. Probably the only difference is how Mulan's revealed to be a woman... because Mushu mistakenly blabs it out loud after the adventure in the mountains when he was used to light a cannon that caused an avalanche.
Then for the second trip into the world, Sora and the others find her as she's tracking a mysterious figure who's on his way to the place. Sora suspects its his long lost friend, Riku, who he'd been spending this game trying to track down. And instead of Shan-Yu, the boss fight is against a dragon Heartless.

Eddie Murphy never reprised Mushu, which is a shame. But I definitely give a lot of credit to Ming-Na Wen for portraying Mulan's voice at every opportunity. I love how she's now playing a bad-ass fighter in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
It's also great that BD Wong followed through with Shang, even into "Kingdom Hearts II"... it's just too bad his animated rendering wasn't as good looking :-P

Mulan was also featured in one of my favorite TV series, "Once Upon a Time." I understand Ming-Na Wen not reprising it this time because we're going for the version of herself that we had in the film. She's portrayed instead by Jamie Chung, who I affectionately know as Amber from "Sucker Punch".
She's first introduced as a warrior who fought alongside Prince Phillip... as in betrothed to Princess Aurora "Sleeping Beauty" Prince Philip. Mother-Daughter team Snow White and Emma Swan find themselves in a far-off corner of the Enchanted Forest untouched by Regina's curse when they accidentally fall down a wormhole meant to remove an evil spirit set out to destroy Regina.

Things got kinda interesting with her, though. She's duty-bound to protect Phillip and Aurora, but there'd been hinted moments where she'd had feelings for both of them beyond friendship. Her storyline recently ended where she was getting up the courage to tell Aurora about her feelings for her, only to change her mind when she gets the news they're expecting.
So she decides to join Robin Hood and his troupe of Merry Men. I'm sure we'll see more of her, but I definitely felt taken aback by that poetic license they took with her. Too bad, she'd become one of my favorite characters in the series.

# 75. The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Code-name: Deliverer

Directors: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells
Type: Animated/History

Notable Cast:
Moses/God- Val Kilmer
Ramses- Ralph Fiennes
Tzipporah (Moses's wife)- Michelle Pfieffer
Miriam- Sandra Bullock
Aaron- Jeff Goldblum
The Queen- Helen Mirren
Hotep- Steve Martin
Huy- Martin Short

Notable Awards & Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Original Song- Stephen Schwartz ("When You Believe")
Nomination- OSCAR- Best Original Score- Stephen Schwartz & Hans Zimmer
Nomination- Golden Globe- Best Original Song ("When You Believe")
Nomination- Golden Globe- Best Original Score
Nomination- Grammy- Best Song from a Movie or TV series ("When You Believe")

[Program Notes]

Again, this will be one of two reviews I'll be posting this week.
Both are movies geared towards kids, but cater to adults as well.
Both also happen to be based on written source material.

"The Prince of Egypt" being based on one of the greatest stories ever told, but also one of the oldest.

[Personal Notes]

Disclaimer: I am not Jewish
(although the fact I wrote an entry about Christmas memories kinda gave that away ages ago)
so don't sue me if my details aren't exactly right on.

I did not grow up with this movie (first time I saw it was in my teens) like many of my other favorites. It's here because it is probably one of the best executed animated movies you'll ever see. Granted, it's not as memorable or as quotable as the animated features further up the list, but I respect the degree of animation involved and how well the story is told. 

I've seen "The Ten Commandments," but even though it's literally on ABC every Easter, it runs way too long to keep my attention (never mind all the commercials in between).
"The Prince of Egypt" simplifies the story of Moses well enough and takes some nice pieces of poetic license along the way.
Nostalgia Critic did a great webcast where he was comparing the two movies in his "Old vs. New" series... something else he did for the next movie on my list.
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/28622-old-vs-new-the-10-commandments-vs-the-prince-of-egypt [it's also #8 on his list of top 11 underrated nostalgia classics]

It was actually through "Rugrats" I first learned about Passover, which is part of the story of Moses.
The Pickles' clan (Stu, Didi and Tommy, plus Drew, Charlotte and Angelica) as well as Chuckie and his dad, are visiting Didi's parents, Minka and Boris. Unfortunately, they arrive just after Minka and Boris had a fight. Boris is believed to have run away, leaving Minka heartbroken and sobbing hysterically whenever someone mentions his name. Stu has to step up and, begrudgingly, he performs the Seder. Every now and then, Didi stops him when he's either not putting enough heart into it or he mispronounces a word. Great for comedy, of course, but we know the better story is being told elsewhere.

Boris is actually in the attic, looking for some old glasses Minka wanted at the Seder (the source of their fight), but has been unable to get out because the door won't open from the inside. Again, great for a running gag.
He's telling the story of Passover to Tommy (Moses in the retelling), Chuckie, and Angelica (who insists on playing the Pharaoh) and throughout this telling, people come to the attic to get away from the boring Seder and they unknowingly close the door so they can't get out. Eventually everyone finds their way up to the attic, they get trapped inside, and Boris tells another story... I assume about how he and Minka first met... as it fades to black.

[Write-up]

"The Prince of Egypt" comes right down the middle between the "Rugrats" retelling and "The Ten Commandments." They don't condescend or sugar-coat anything and balances the aspects of comedy and drama. 

This was DreamWorks before they changed over to computerized animation in an attempt to keep up with Pixar... for me, it's a give and take as to who did the better version of [insert storyline here]. Excellent animation, again, and amazingly, Disney wanted nothing to do with it (or at least Michael Eisner didn't when Jeffrey Katzenberg first pitched the idea to him).

Everyone knows the basic story, so there's no need to go into it.

As for the poetic license taken, two things come to mind.

Twist #1: Moses is adopted by The Queen (opposed to her daughter, as IMDB points out) and he and Ramses are raised as brothers. There's a great chemistry between the two actors here and it adds another element to the drama propelling the movie forward

Twist #2: [This comes from the Nostalgia Critic review as well] "The Ten Commandments" portrays God in a very fearful way, probably more true to His portrayal in Old Testament. But here, He is a loving God who is there for Moses and gently guides him to fulfill his destiny.
(In both versions, Moses and God are portrayed by the same actor. But I must give props to Val  Kilmer in this other role because I never would have figured that out if nobody told me).

To be fair, though, this movie isn't really about the A-list actors behind the voices.
It's always nice when we do GET recognizable names in an animated feature, but whenever I watch this one, that's not the aspect that sticks with me after it ends. Like I said before, it's about the big picture more than the pieces involved.

Ramses wants to believe the best in Moses because he was like a brother to him, but the straw that breaks the camel's back is when the night of Passover happens.
It isn't as scary as "The Ten Commandments," but it isn't taken lightly either. It's a very dark moment in the film where Ramses is leaning over his dead son and orders Moses to take the Hebrews out of Egypt.

But as they're heading towards the Red Sea, Ramses and his troops appear out of nowhere and begin the chase... why this occurs is never explained in the movie, mainly because it shows things from Moses's perspective.
At least with the "Rugrats" version they brought up this change of heart... after Angelica the Pharaoh finally agrees to let the Hebrews go (supposedly because she could fall victim to the "Passover" plague taking away the first-born child of every house), she realizes that she can't do anything without her Hebrews. The final straw is when she realizes she can't take a bath and groans "you mean I threw out the baby with the bath-water, too?".

The movie also ends on a happier note than "The Ten Commandments." The older film ends with the actual commandments being handed down- another encounter with the angry God. "The Prince of Egypt" ends when the Hebrews and Moses make it to the other end of the Red Sea and celebrate their newfound freedom.

A nod must also be given to the award-winning song (also the only one I have any recollection of), especially the popular release where divas Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston unite... the power of them combined still doesn't compare to how power the song is... always gives me chills.