What a crazy year it's been... and within the next 3 hours and 15 minutes, it'll be all over. I've got some plans for my Prince blog (and maybe some podcasting) in 2017. And here's hoping it'll be a better year.
Particularly with fewer significant celebrity deaths...
But first, the movies.
I went through all the movies I saw this year and it wasn't many. Only 56. And like last year, it looks like only a dozen movies in the theaters. Back then, I ranked them from 12 to 1.
Kung Fu Panda 3
Allegiant
Captain America: Civil War
Now You See Me 2
Finding Dory
Ghostbusters (the remake)
Kubo and the Two StringsThe Magnificent Seven
Doctor Strange
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Moana
Rogue One
I don't know if I feel like ranking them. Most of them aren't even fresh in my memory.
One thing I noticed: I saw a lot of animated movies this year. All because my sister wanted to see most of them.
If all of them are nominated for Best Animated Film, I think "Finding Dory" is most likely to win just because Pixar has a pretty strong grip on awards shows. Rarely does it come in and lose.
But "Kubo" shouldn't overlooked either. It might geared a little more towards an older audience (like teens and older), but it's unique in so many aspects. The animation for starters. Spectacular effects. The only thing that brings it down is the ending- kinda bittersweet.
"Moana" is also a good candidate. It's not as good as "Frozen," but it has a lot going for it. Great animation again. And surprisingly good voiceover work by Dwayne Johnson as Maui.
Of the three, I probably had the most fun with "Moana"... I mean when it ended, I wished it kept going or at least had more to it. There was so much drama between her and her family and I just wanted them to reacquaint with some good heartfelt dialogue.
"Kung Fu Panda 3"- it was a fun movie. A good note to start the year on.
The Ghostbusters remake was a theater trip by myself I won't soon forget. Especially since the theater people shut it off at a point cuz they didn't know I was in there watching it. By myself. Maybe I got the humor a bit more because I know these people from SNL and enjoy them there... every now and then.
I certainly see Kate McKinnon becoming more of a movie star as time goes by. She just needs more roles like this. And less of her impersonating other people.
If I'd rank any of these dead last, it'd be "Now You See Me 2"... the effects looked so cool in the trailers and the behind the scenes special. But I feel like maybe the critics got in my head and I became disillusioned the longer the magic tricks went on.
Between the two Marvel movies, I'd have to give the advantage to "Captain America" but only because I know the characters so well.
Plus the story was written better. "Doctor Strange" was still really well done with the acting and the effects. But the defeat of the villain was not well-played. It was like a running gag that ran out of steam after 90 seconds.
I also like how "Captain America" kinda helped the Marvel Universe come full circle with Captain America and Tony Stark's character arcs. Daniel Bruhl also made a really good villain.
I guess "Captain America: Civil War" was my favorite movie in the theater this year... all things considered.
"Rogue One" was a good addition to the Star Wars canon, and the action scenes were some of the best I'd seen in a while. But the slow scenes dragged on and I didn't care quite enough about the characters (not this time around anyway) to get invested.
"Fantastic Beasts" was a really good return to the magical world before Harry Potter. I just wish the action scenes weren't as intense and that they were easier to follow. I really did like Eddie Redmayne and Dan Fogler and their characters. If we see more of Newt Scamander in the future, I'm absolutely game for it.
"Allegiant" was also great. The Divergent series was really well done on the screen. It didn't vary too much from the books, although the books aren't in my current memory. I read through them a couple years ago.
It's just sad that the series might not get a proper ending. I mean, the ending of the books in general... it was heartbreaking. One of my favorite female protagonists in any of the books I read. I'm certainly more for Tris Prior than Katniss Everdeen- mostly because of the universes they're a part of. But I can relate more to Tris- I read the books and experienced all of these things with her. I hadn't felt that close to a narrator/protagonist since Bella Swan.
And I will go into more detail and discussion about Bella and the Twilight universe in the future. I know that series gets a lot of criticism, but Kristen Stewart's interpretation of this character has a lot to do with it. She's a lot stronger and braver than that emo version of her.
That just leaves me with "The Magnificent Seven." Overall, it was a mixed bag of experiences. It had some slow dragged out points, but it had characters I grew to care about. And a great variety of personalities. I'd probably watch it again a bunch of times. Whether or not I want to buy it, I'll have to see. Maybe when the price drops :P
So I guess... a top 5...I can't rank all 12.
1. Captain America: Civil War
2. Allegiant
3. The Magnificent Seven
4. Doctor Strange
5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
As for movies I didn't see in theaters... there were a few stand-outs.
These aren't ranked, by the way.
1. The Imitation Game
I mean, everyone said this was Leo's year to win an Oscar. He finally got it. [Now let's campaign for Robert Downey Jr. to win... I'm gonna keep saying it until it happens..]
But Benedict Cumberbatch was really good in that. I didn't know much about this Alan Turing guy, but he was right in the interviews- he should be in the history books for breaking that unbreakable Nazi code. So sad what happened to him later in life- all because he was gay. Like all the good he did didn't mean anything anymore.
The guy was brilliant- and nobody could play him as well as Benedict Cumberbatch. He's really come into his own in the past couple years.
Although Eddie Redmayne was brilliant as Stephen Hawking.
2. Deadpool
Tonight, we're watching it for at least the 5th or 6th time this year. And we didn't even see it in theaters.
I think I already reviewed it here once. I say Ryan Reynolds is overrated because he's considered good-looking in Hollywood. But he has such a great wit and humor in this movie. Although it kinda helps to take his looks out of the equation.
It'll be a little bittersweet, though. There's Wham! references in this movie.
3. The Martian
If I got to my computer a lot sooner afterwards, I would have done a write-up on this. It's interesting how there was no villain in this movie aside from the harsh Martian environment. And it's still not quite a comedy. But Matt Damon was good. It's kinda crazy how he was managed to live on Mars that whole time he was marooned. Crazy that he was the one person who knew how to grow crops and such because he was a botanist (if it was Jessica Chastain instead, it'd be a much shorter movie... not hating on her acting at all. Her character just wasn't a botanist with insane ingenuity).
Plus- it's lucky he had that sense of humor or he wouldn't have lasted a week.
4. The King & I
I reviewed this one almost as soon as I saw because I liked it that much. It's the kind of movie you can't watch often because it's lengthy and that's kind of a big commitment. Not as big as "Dr. Zhivago," though.
Yul Brunner was so good in this role and it was interesting to see how Anna was able to stand up to him. And those sets and costumes were massive. They sure don't make 'em like that anymore
5. Straight Outta Compton
This was an interesting one for sure. After all the hype and outcries from the awards show critics, I got to see it on HBO. And it deserved something... They told a good story of true events, the characters were well-portrayed. And it was good seeing the other perspective on things.
Not to mention- I hate rap and hip-hop in general. And I liked the sound of the music they put out. The lyrics, not so much. They're very controversial in nature, but these songs were constructed a lot better than what hip-hop developed into.
6. Brooklyn
I got lost in the world of this movie, which is the biggest compliment I could pay. Saorise Ronan deserved an Oscar for this. She was amazing. Her character grows so strong in the face of adversity and change. That's inspiring in of itself.
7. How to Be Single
Dakota Johnson might be getting a bad rap just because she's playing Anastasia in the Fifty Shades movies... but I loved her in this movie and just this movie in general. It was so much fun, again, getting lost in the scene of this movie. And this was another female protagonist I could see myself in. With the exception that I hadn't experienced anything that they have.
Not yet anyway...
8. Race
Don't know why the critics didn't get behind this movie more. The guy who played Jesse Owens was so good. And it was nice to see Jason Sudekis do a good role for a change. Someone who wasn't an idiot or a loser.
It was interesting to see this part of history- before Hitler kinda took over Europe and how we were sticking it to him, but also playing by his rules some of the time.
Also interesting how some of it really did happen- like the moments between one of the German runners and Jesse Owens.
9. Hail, Caesar!
Maybe not the best movie of the bunch... but it's worth including because it was so certifiably nuts.
George Clooney plays a Kirk Douglas type character in a "Spartacus" type movie. But he gets kidnapped and is thrown in a house full of Communists. And Channing Tatum is hanging out with the Communists. And there's a suitcase that gets lost forever in a pretty hilarious fashion.
It's a Coen brothers movie... they did "Fargo"... it has that certain warped sense of humor. And I liked it more than a bunch of their movies. It is kinda slow in parts and I fell asleep once. But it felt an impression.
And one of the actors, I found out later, will be playing Han Solo in an origin story Star Wars movie. I didn't get him at first, but he grew on me over time. He started out as a western star, got thrown into some random movie being directed by Ralph Fiennes, and in a weird twist of fate, he's the one who saves George Clooney from the Communists.
In Memorium [one day I'm gonna spell that right]
...I hope we never have another year like this again... Just lost way too many good people. I'll just list the ones that made the most impact for me. The ones that were personal or just the most shocking...
- David Bowie [I crank up the radio every time one of his songs comes on]
- Alan Rickman [Harry Potter movies will never be the same]
- Prince-- never forget!
- Muhammad Ali -- need I say more
- Anton Yelchin-- that was particularly tough one...
- Garry Marshall-- from Pretty Woman to Happy Days, we owe him a lot
- Gene Wilder-- I predicted when he died, it'd be sad... and it still is... still miss him
- Arnold Palmer-- been watching golf for nearly 20 years, but I didn't know much about this legend (other than his legendary status) until after he passed. Class act!
- Florence Henderson-- hard to believe, she'd been so alive these past couple years while she appeared on Dancing with the Stars
- John Glenn... sadly, one of two I said "they were still alive?" shortly before they died
- Kenny Baker [this didn't get a lot of public attention, I don't think, so I'm still kinda shocked he died]
- George Michael-- I'm still dealing with this one. I liked his music a lot, but I wasn't a mega fan... still going to miss him, though.
- Carrie Fisher... if anyone could have survived this year, we were all sure it'd be her... it's like Alderon was destroyed by the Death Star all over again...
- Debbie Reynolds [didn't know she was still alive either... and how she died was troubling and sad]
An article was recently released saying how 2006 was worse as far as celebrity deaths go...
I beg to differ. Prince took a piece of me with him when he died... and I'm fighting as hard as I can not to lose it forever.
At the very least, though... I saw Hall & Oates in concert this year because I felt like I might have regretted it if I didn't. I sure regret not trying to see Prince when he did the Welcome to America tour at the Meadowlands and Madison Square Garden in 2010. He never came to my neck of the woods to tour again...
Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift- my next opportunity to see either of them, I should probably take it... just in case... in this unpredictable world, you never know what to expect.
But I expect 2017 to be better.
Although there were some good things too... particularly in my professional life...
Oh and the Cubs won the World Series. That was pretty cool.
Mom surprised us this Christmas with a DVD version of this classic Jim Henson special and we watched it the other night.
So I'm gonna have to do write-up about it now. Not that this in anyway makes up for the fact I'd seldom posted on this blog these past few months except for when we've gone to the movies.
I said in my previous post how this was one of the Christmas specials we had on a recorded VHS and used to watch when we were kids.
And I was always kinda annoyed that my mom never let us sit through all of it in one sitting.
I mean, c'mon... all that Christmas goodness, why stop it?
Getting to the last two specials (Charlie Brown and Claymotion) was always a bit of a... I don't even know what word I want to use here... it wasn't easy to do. We'd get so far along, stop, and sometimes we just never got around to finishing and next year we'd be back at the start.
Anyway... trip down memory lane aside...
I had so many thoughts on this as I was watching, but I'll start with the craziest revelation that might not be so crazy...
Emmett Otter's special is universal in that it's good for all ages. And I found that I was getting a lot more out of it as an adult than I ever did as a kid.
This time around, for example, I was just marveling at the craftsmanship of the whole thing. Just looked it up and by the time this special was made (and apparently it was based on a book), Sesame Street and The Muppet Show were already in full swing.
So it's interesting to see marionette work at the forefront opposed to the muppets we got to know over the years.
I remember seeing this a few years ago, maybe on a home video VHS (that one of my aunts gave to us), and noticing the strings for the first time. I made a bit of a ruckus during Rudolph this year because our HD TV revealed strings I never knew were there. Not that totally ruins the illusion.
With this, I see strings with Emmett and his Ma and his friends. Moreso this time around, but the illusion isn't ruined at all. I find it endearing at certain points actually. Particularly where Emmett and Ma ride the slide onto the newly frozen lake. So cute to see them running and sliding around.
And the sets... just wow... in real life, all these buildings are probably so small, but they look so big on TV. And the way they're adorned, that's Christmas nostalgia right there.
I guess that means I need to get to the main story, then.
Emmett and his Ma, Alice, live in the town of Waterville. They get by doing odd jobs for neighbors like fixing things and doing laundry. They don't have a lot of money, but they always had each other. And a washtub, apparently.
It'll make sense later...
This year, both of them decide on their own that they really want to give the other a nice Christmas present, but they can't quite afford it. Alice wants to give Emmett a guitar they saw in a music store in town and Emmett wants to put a down payment on a piano for Ma. They had to sell it after Emmett's Pa died and they started struggling with money. Even though they were never rich with him being a snake oil salesman (haha- I didn't get that joke until a couple years ago- "there just aren't enough people who want to oil a snake").
And a local talent show presents the opportunity both of them want to take advantage of. But certain sacrifices need to be made...
This is sort of a take on "The Gift of the Magi," except that both of them sacrifice something that the other needs for their odd jobs.
Maybe 5-10 minutes after the two of them sing about not having a hole in the washtub... Emmett has to put a hole in it so he can play washtub bass in his friends' jugband. And Alice hocks Emmett's tool chest (that originally belonged to Pa) to get dress fabric so she has something nice to wear.
In the end, it is the thought that counts, though.
Throughout this special, we also see the residential antagonists from River Bottom. They're a bunch of delinquents with attitude. And surprise, surprise, they make an appearance at the talent contest as well.
Now that I think about it, I don't think I know any of their names aside from their leader, Chuck.
Oh man... that was something I found so hilarious as a kid and I still do. Chuck is a man (I have no idea what kind of furry creature he is, a bear, maybe?) of few words, but when he talks, you listen.
One of the them is a weasel who's very chatty and kinda talks for the group, but Chuck will often correct him and intimidates the crap out of him with his tough-guy voice. Just love it.
Chuck: I'm hungry
Weasel: Hey everybody, Chuck's funny
Chuck: No, I'm not hungry. I'm HUNGRY... now!
Oh geez... I guess Chuck is supposed to be a woodchuck, then, lol.
I just know there's a weasel, a lizard, a snake and some fish/mudskipper thing that they always seem to have a tub of water for him to swim in when they're traveling around town.
The talent show... wow, the nostalgia the first few minutes in that concert hall before it even starts... I'm just transported back with that. I remember watching the horse- which unfortunately gets split up in an earlier scene and the whole act gets ruined. I remember the dancing squirrels (omg, so cute!) and their mom cheering and clapping like a maniac when they're all finished.
An interesting curveball gets thrown at the jugband and they easily could have avoided having an issue if they rehearsed more than one song.
It turns out "Barbeque" is popular and some hillbilly badger takes up a banjo and performs it before it's their turn. So they need to put together a new song and fast.
Alice goes on just ahead of them and gives a really moving performance with a ballad. Complete with that out-of-tune piano (Rowlf might have been onto something- he said in "Muppet Family Christmas" how he loves out of tune pianos), nostalgia hits again.
With the jugband, they sound and look really good considering how last minute this song change was. But "Brothers" is not as catchy as "Barbeque"... I've always felt a little bit of disappointment where the first chords begin and it's not the same song. Just doesn't have that same impact.
Then the "River Bottom Nightmare Band" shows up and all hell breaks loose :P
Now this was memorable. The whole song and look of it. And each time, you pick out something different. Weasel does the main vocal on the bridge and his voice still stands out to me. And of course all Chuck has to say/growl is "River Bottom Nightmare Band!"... he's all decked out like Elton John or Liberace with this long blue shiny cape and Kiss-style platform shoes.
Gotta give them credit- they were true to themselves and didn't sugarcoat anything. This is more of a heavy metal type song with an organ, guitars and drums, so the song really isn't sing-along-y. But they do play good music.
There's an earlier scene where they're playing instruments in a music store and they sound better than you would think. Maybe they wouldn't be as troublesome if they spent more time with the music because it's a good outlet for them.
Anyway... the results are kinda disappointing. The Nightmare winds up winning. It's slightly more annoying when you consider the fact that they were a last minute entry. And they heard from the jugband about the talent contest... although Weasel says something like "they think they're gonna win the talent contest" jokingly, which says to me that they already knew about it.
But our heroes do get a happy ending and all they had to do was invent the song mash-up. They're walking by Doc Bullfrog's diner as they put their songs from the talent show together and he recruits them to be regular performers there with a salary and free food.
If I were to nit-pick anything... you hear a couple songs more than once and if you're not feeling it, you might get sick of them. But they are great songs.
"When the River Meets the Sea" is great and beautiful and it became a Henson classic because it was written for this and also featured on the Muppet Christmas album with John Denver. Even was played at Jerry Nelson's funeral, which was a fitting tribute. He did the voice of Emmett.
When they showed this on TV (and this carries over to our recorded VHS), they had an intro with Kermit pedaling his bike to Waterville, introducing the special and the River Bottom gang interacts with him.
It's a pretty funny exchange.
"What about the scarf?"- Chuck says after he's asked by Weasel whether he wants to take anything from Kermit.
And they argue among themselves before that whether he's a frog or toad :P
Kermit also appears at the end of the diner scene- they pan over to him as they're performing and he says (I think) how they were a big hit and their lives became better as a result. It's been so long that I don't remember the exact dialogue.
OH- someone posted them on YouTube calling them "the lost scenes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_B8xVwHTgw
Overall... great special and definitely will look forward to bringing it back every year from now.
A Trip Down Memory Lane...
I would have dubbed this as one of my Christmas essentials, but it isn't among those specials that are shown every year around this time.
In fact, it hasn't been shown on TV maybe since its first airing. And my mom had the foresight to record it so my sister and I could watch it again in the future.
This was one of several Christmas specials recorded on this old VHS. I keep meaning to record it onto DVD- we have the machine to do it- but I just keep forgetting. Plus YouTube makes things so much more convenient and accessible.
Other specials included:
* Disney cartoons featuring Donald, Mickey and Pluto, leading up to their "Christmas Carol"
* behind-the-scenes footage of "Oliver and Company" (not Christmas-y, but if I ever see that footage again... man... I can only imagine the nostalgia- between that and the commercials that somehow made the cut)
* Rudolph
* Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas (which I may write-up one day as well)
* Charlie Brown
* Claymotion's Christmas (also on YouTube- we may or may not get to it this year).
Anyway... the short of it is... I know my sister had watched this particular special on YouTube one other year and I only heard it going on. I didn't get to see this. This year, I finally got that opportunity and Google Chrome did a great job casting it. [YouTube is the only website where the streaming works perfectly without the audio and video being out of sync].
And the nostalgia hit me right in the heart and it was AWESOME... I don't think I'd seen this in 15-20 years. And I still remember so much of it like it was yesterday.
The coolest part... my mom was late recording the special and I did the math... this was the first time I saw the first 2 minutes of this special ever. And it does explain one thing I never thought to ask...
In a Chestnut[shell]... with all the trimmings
I never thought to ask why they came to Fozzie Bear's mom's farmhouse. I didn't add up that fact and her being ready to go to Hawaii. All I knew is that they crashed at her house, which was a huge surprise to her as well as Doc, the boarder she invited to watch the house while she was gone.
BTW, RIP Gerry Parks. He passed away in 2014. And he was such a great guy in a special where he was the only human character.
Fraggle Rock had been around for a couple years before this special, but Doc and his dog Sprocket were in it and he always told his dog that he was crazy for imagining Fraggles.
I actually caught one interesting bit of dialogue for the first time- when the Muppets invade, he asks Sprocket if they were anything like the Fraggles he kept telling him about.
Funny he should mention that... but more on that later...
Anyway, he starts as this curmudgeon of an old man, being bent out of shape that he's being denied this "nice quiet Christmas" he'd been promised.
But at the same time, Fozzie's mom is a little miffed that she took 3 months of surfing lessons and getting nothing in return for it.
Uh... I guess she didn't have the heart to tell Fozzie and the others that she had plans?? I thought for years that she found out she couldn't go because of the upcoming snowstorm. But she might have been out of dodge before it got there...
I'm thinking too much about this :P time to move on.
So anyway, everyone is here to celebrate Christmas at the farmhouse. And three spheres of Jim Henson's incredible universe [four if you include the Muppet Babies footage] come together for the first time EVER... and never really did again. Unless you account for the fact Kermit occasionally cameos on Sesame Street.
There's a running joke that they're having trouble finding room for everybody to spend the night, the icy patch at the front door keeps getting tripped over (it's still funny every single time, lol), and Miss Piggy is literally doing every last minute thing before she gets over there.
And we have this impossible snowstorm on the horizon- barometers are falling sharply!!!
That was one of those jokes I didn't get until I was older. :P
Much of Kermit's storyline was worrying about Miss Piggy and whether she'd get to the farmhouse safe and sound. As materialistic as she is, it's not surprising that she has to go to a photo shoot (that she somehow forgot she scheduled) and does some last minute shopping (and we never see her give away those great fuzzy flipper snippers) before actually making the trip.
I mean, these are just puppets at the end of the day, but that part of the story has so much suspense in it. I mean, it didn't make me a sobbing mess when I was a kid (Mickey's Christmas Carol on the other hand... I have to just think about Christmas Future and the song at the beginning and end... that messes me up... Muppet Christmas Carol has a few spots that do the same thing)... but it's kinda sad and kinda scary. Right along with Kermit, I'm worried if things will work out all right even though I know the ending.
Kermit does have some good distractions to help keep his mind off things, though.
Fozzie, as anyone knows, is a comedian and he finds a new act after he builds a snowman.
Yeah, the snowman comes to life. And the act kinda goes bust (Statler and Waldorf happened), but hey, certainly can't blame him for trying.
Then there's the great scene where Robin takes Kermit to Fraggle Rock and we get to meet some Fraggles. Of course, the main characters from the TV series. (I'd only seen it a couple times maybe ever, but it might be worth looking up in the future... maybe YouTube will indulge me like it did with this).
And they introduce to us the art of regifting... and they're happy to receive any gifts at all, which is kinda nice.
And they get their own musical number too. Good times 8-)
And just to finish my comments on Doc- the way his character evolves throughout these 45 minutes is a great example of Christmas spirit. He doesn't get the Christmas he wanted when he first arrived, but he comes to like the Muppets a lot and goes above and beyond in a couple ways.
One of them, of course, has to involve Miss Piggy. Despite all the hardship, they make a pretty amazing and touching entrance (complete with a duet of "There's No Place like Home for the Holidays" with her and Kermit). Makes me wonder if she really is that composed a person... er, pig. Or she was a complete mess and she threatened to karate chop Doc if he said anything about the state he found her in.
The other way... you'd have to watch it to see, but it allows for a really nice cameo by Jim Henson himself. For years, I didn't know it was him and learning how he died a couple years later... it's a sweet and bittersweet moment all at the same time.
Only Jim Henson could come up with something where you have nothing but puppetry and you get to feel all kinds of emotions. Everyone takes part in a really sweet Christmas Carol medley where they cover pretty much all the songs we grew up on. Plus maybe two I hadn't heard anyone but with the Muppets.
Of course there's also a lot of comedy. The icy patch is only the... I guess, the tip of the iceberg... shut up!
Maybe the funniest beside that is the saga of the Christmas Turkey and Swedish Chef. The turkey shows up, alive and well and Gonzo tries to talk him into leaving.
The Swedish Chef gets all confused about which creature is the turkey.
Doc: I don't care if the turkey says the dog is the turkey. The dog is not the turkey. The turkey's the turkey, you turkey!
There's a love triangle between Gonzo, Camilla and the turkey.
Gonzo: But Camilla's my girlfriend
Turkey: You gotta be kidding! You're not even a bird!
Gonzo: [shrug] well, nobody's perfect
Then he beats the stuffing out of the turkey when he finally catches him... but then this turkey is so slick, he thought up another lie and he thought it up quick... yeah, I'm quoting The Grinch :P so what? I'm finishing this up on Christmas Eve.
Yeah, he told Swedish Chef that Big Bird is a turkey. And he exclaims: "Gobble Gobble Hugmungo!"
I believe Doc gets into the Christmas spirit right around the time Bert and Ernie show up and they do their "small talk" routine.
You know... Doc starts with the letter D, and so on...
and he cheerfully says he's gotta build some bunk beds.
If I watched Sesame Street as a kid, I don't remember it... but after all these years, when Big Bird shows up, I get warm and fuzzy.
His big moment in this special is when he talks to Swedish Chef, saying how he might be lonely because his family is back in Sweden and Christmas is about spending time with family.
I mean, I've said it a bunch already... these are puppets! Yet their duet of "The Christmas Song" is a tearjerker every time :P And the sweetest part is that Swedish Chef decides on a vegetarian menu as a result of this.
"Shredded wheat and cranberry sauce- my absolute favorite!"
At least "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" has the icy patch gag to keep it from getting too sappy and too teary :P
And while we're going with the animal friendly theme here- I love Kermit's present to Miss Piggy. It's a live mink [opposed to a mink coat or stole] who's Miss Piggy's biggest fan.
"I've seen everything you've done... I worship the ground you walk on."
If there's one thing Miss Piggy loves more than minks and Kermit, it's herself. So it's perfect.
And Robin has a nice moment where he continues to the Fraggle tradition of regifting, but he gives it to one of the Sesame Street gang.
Also RIP Jerry Nelson- who did the voice for The Count, Fozzie's mom and Robin in this special. I don't know if it's because of this special or Muppet Christmas Carol where he plays Tiny Tim [ :sniff: ]... he's always been one of my favorite Muppets characters and Jerry Nelson is the biggest reason for that.
Also he was Emmett Otter and Doc Bullfrog in "Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas"... and I just found that that Emmett Otter was made in 1977... 10 years before Muppet Family Christmas... just wow... I don't know how I feel about Emmett Otter being older than me :P
Most of the other cast members are still alive, which is good. Or I'd be here for ages.
A couple more things:
* Animal has some of the funniest moments. Like when Cookie Monster eats all the Christmas cookies and Animal says "that my kind of fella."
And Gonzo and Animal are totally game for sleeping on hangers in a closet- the only places left to sleep in the house. ["That's the only way Animal ever sleeps, man."]
* Mechanical Mayhem do a kick-ass version of "Jingle Bell Rock."
* Oscar and Rizzo bond in a cute scene- Rizzo asks if he can bunk out with Oscar and Oscar says "I've never had a rat in my trashcan before. That might be kinda nice."
...
and it looks like we might be entering into a similar situation. Some unexpected guests are coming to our Christmas Eve gathering.
And I guess we'll see how it goes. The idea of it is getting some mixed results.
Hopefully it all turns out ok in the end.
Date: Sunday December 18 2016
Time: 12:45pm
Location: Pocono Movieplex (theatre 5)
Party: 3 (my mom, sister & I)
Director: Gareth Edwards (directed the recent "Godzilla" remake)
Writers: Chris Weitz (directed "New Moon"), Tony Gilroy (wrote for the "Bourne" franchise), John Knoll (apparently this movie was based on an idea he had while working on previous parts of the "Star Wars" franchise in the visual effects department), and Gary Whitta (wrote "Book of Eli" and is now working on "Sherlock 3"
Composer: Michael Giacchino
Cast:
Jyn Erso- Felicity Jones
Cassian Andor- Diego Luna
Chirrut Îmwe (the blind jedi)- Donnie Yen
Baze Malbus (the mercenary)- Jiang Wen
K2-SO- Alan Tudyk
Bodhi (the Imperial pilot)- Riz Ahmed
Galen Erso- Mads Mikkelsen
Saw Gerrara- Forest Whitaker
Orson Krennic- Ben Mendelsohn
Duration: 134 minutes (+2 trailers)
Write-up:
Opening Comments
My mom tried to talk my sister out of seeing the movie with us. Hearing rumors of its PG13 meaning a lot of bloodshed and a high body count, she thought it might be too much. In the end, it all turned out okay. My sister liked it and we all have a good time of it.
The theater started empty at first. Just us three and one other person. Then little by little, people started trickling in... when the movie was already starting.
We got there early just to be sure we got a seat and we didn't have to sift through the dark and maybe we were too early, but still...
Trailers:
Thankfully we didn't start with a million commercials and got right to the trailers. That might have had something to do with the fact we had to tell the people in the theater to run it... it was a slow day. Kinda miserable outside with cold and rain, but it wasn't too bad. Nor was the snow the previous day.
Anyway, trailers...
we had the teaser trailer for the latest "Pirates of the Carribeean" again.
But afterwards, we had "Logan," which sounds like the last Wolverine/X-Men movie on Hugh Jackman's contract. It looks like a post-X-men world where Logan and Professor Xavier are the last mutants left. But then there's a girl with mutant powers who they need to protect from authorities. The overall look: it reminds me a bit of the Avengers movies. So maybe Marvel studios has more influence here- compared to the other parts of this franchise that's otherwise been independent.
The Main Event:
Within the first ten minutes, this movie sets itself apart from all its predecessors in two ways. And it all has to do with the iconic title screen and crawl.
What we have in a nutshell is the following: we're following the members of the Rebel Alliance who steal the plans for the Death Star.
Our main protagonist is thrust into the plot because of her father, Galen, who is the engineer who built the Death Star. While he is the very reason for its existence (in that it's a powerful planet-destroying space station), he is also a big part of its inevitable destruction.
Those who follow the Star Wars franchise will find this particularly interesting because it answers a few questions and criticisms.
After Felicity Jones earned Oscar buzz for "The Theory of Everything," she'd gotten a lot of good roles and this will probably go down as one of her best. She's the person that we experience the movie through, physically and emotionally.
It's also interesting to see Mads Mikkelsen in this after seeing him as a villain in "Doctor Strange." A bit of a different role for him and just as complex.
Cassian Andor is the head of the mission and he's interesting in that you don't entirely know which side he's on until the movie progresses far enough. The Rebel Alliance was a united front in the previous installments, but it's oddly disjointed in this film because these times are uncertain. Especially with the threat of the Death Star becoming more and more real every passing second.
But he's one of my favorite characters for sure.
One article previewing this movie said that the blind jedi would be a scene stealer and that couldn't be more true. Chirrut Îmwe was simply a bad-ass. And he and his buddy Baz Malbus are a great combination that offers the few moments of comic relief this movie has- but both are strong additions to the alliance.
The main villain is Orson Krennic. Just seeing him on screen makes the hairs on your neck prick up. With that stage presence, you know nothing good is going to come. But he does have superiors to answer to and they're not to be taken lightly either.
The slow scenes- while they're good for character development, they had trouble holding my attention and I was close to falling asleep once or twice. But the actions scenes are so well done that they help make up for that.
For those familiar with the franchise, this film has a foregone conclusion that's easy to guess, but it's interesting to see how that destination is reached. It still keeps you on the edge of your seat through the course of the last 45 minutes.
And without giving too much away, there are some pretty cool cameos throughout the film. Some come about with the help of the latest CGI technology. It's pretty impressive.
Grade: A
Date- Saturday, November 26, 2016
Time- 1:45pm
Party: 3 (my mom, sister and I)
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker, Don Hall and Chris Williams
Songs by Opetaia Foa'i, Lin-Manuel Miranda (of "Hamilton" fame) and Mark Mancina
Cast:
Moana- Auli'i Cravalho
Maui- Dwayne Johnson
Gramma Tala- Rachel House
Chief Tui- Temuera Morrison
Tamatoa- Jermaine Clement
Duration: 103 minutes (+3 trailers)
Opening Remarks:
:sigh: yeah, I made that comment in my last review, which I finished 30 minutes before leaving for THIS movie... we should bring a flashlight next time.
My phone helped somewhat to help us find a seat, but it took a little while. Luckily there were 10 minutes of commercials to get through first.
It wasn't a full theater, but there were quite a few seats filled and it was one of those receptive audiences that are great to be a part of.
And just as a little preview of what's to come... a bunch of them applauded at the end and a couple of us joined in. I can't remember the last time there was applause after a movie. Not to say the ones we've seen haven't been great. My memory is just not good right now.
Trailers:
One: However much of a dork as this makes me sound, I will admit... every time I see a trailer for "The Beauty & The Beast," I tear up and get kinda emotional. I am just SO EXCITED for it and it already looks like they're going to do an amazing job with it.
Two was a teaser trailer for "Cars 3," which I just heard about only a couple of days before this. Basically, Lightning McQueen takes a major spill that looks reminiscent of a couple recent NASCAR crashes that looked really bad.
Three... I swear, every time I see a trailer, I want to see "Sing" even more. That just looks like it's going to be so much fun. Plus "American Idol" (despite being upset with the last few winners and how this season wasn't acknowledged at all in the series finale) is my jam.
The Short:
"Finding Dory" had a really cute short this year in the form of "Piper."
"Frozen" had a great trip through nostalgia with "Get a Horse."
"Inner Workings" is entertaining and deep enough to be considered for an Oscar, I think.
We see the day of the life of a paper pusher from the POV of his internal organs. Namely, his brain and his heart and the conflicts between them. There's a running joke that has my sister and I almost gasping for breath, we were laughing so hard.
But it also gets serious at a point where the theater got quiet and it got all us thinking.
No worries, there is a happy ending, but it does make you think about a lot of things.
As for the Oscar for best full-length animated film... "Moana" just made things more competitive and more complicated for the committee making that choice.
The Main Event:
Moana is the daughter of the chief of a Hawaiian island and she's been groomed to be the next village chief. But her island is dying and her father refuses to allow her and the villagers to venture beyond the reef to save it. She not only is following the ocean's call, as it has since she was a baby, but also her grandma's encouragement.
How she plans to do it: find the demigod Maui and have him restore the heart of Te Fiti. (There's a prologue that explains this legend, which of course, turns out to be true).
Commentary:
While I don't see this being a bigger hit than "Frozen"... I also didn't expect "Frozen" to become the phenomenon it did, so what do I know?
Although this movie was in the can before the success of "Hamilton," the music will be another great notch to add to Lin-Manuel Miranda's belt.
People who write about Disney movies write an air of condescension that all these Disney princesses have a song about what they want. It started with "The Little Mermaid" and has been a tradition ever since. I know it's become a cliché, but what is necessarily wrong with that?
That being said, "Let it go" is still the best in recent history (I'd have to give to "Part of Your World" for the broad scope).
"How Far I'll Go"... I don't remember any of the words, but the melody is still with me, even though it's a week later.
"You're Welcome" is so ridiculously ego-driven (courtesy of Maui), but I was smiling the entire time.
As for the "Shiny" song (sung by the hermit crab who has Maui's magical hook)... er... not so much. Don't get me wrong, we're all distracted by shiny objects, but I felt about it the same way I did about Olaf's song in "Frozen" about bringing back summer. Except I like the summer song a lot more.
Moana is another great character. Although she's defying her parents (particularly her father), she's doing so out of love for her people and her island. She has a lot of heart and spirit and you can't take her lightly. Especially when the ocean is at her side. You wouldn't expect it, but the ocean is as great a character in this as her pig and her rooster friend, Hei-Hei. Easily the stupidest rooster you'll ever meet, but you can't help but fall in love with him- just like the legions of the animal side-kicks Disney has introduced us to over the years.
Dwayne Johnson apparently lobbied hard to be part of this movie because he's half-Samoan and he does not disappoint. He IS this character, Maui. A lot of ego, but he also has his quirks and moments where you can't help but by entertained by him.
Not sure why, but he reminded me a lot of Inuyasha (the titular character of one of my favorite animé series)... not just his attitude- which is the unwillingness to work with the female heroine, but also the fact he stole the precious article that needs to be restored in order to save the world. Maybe it's the necklace and the long hair...
You be the judge..
Hei-Hei the rooster is a bit of scene-stealer, but Maui's "mini-me" conscience tattoo garners just as many laughs.
Of course, the alliance between Moana and Maui is an uneasy one, but it's entertaining to see how it all shakes out.
If there are any negatives, I can narrow it down to two things.
Most notably: we have that stupid cliché where the protagonist hits a brick wall, everything seems so hopeless and divine intervention comes along to set them back on the path they're meant to be on. It just seemed like a cheap way to length the movie by 10 minutes.
But also: once all the conflict is resolved and Moana returns home... the movie just ends. Such a rift formed between her and her father that disheartened the movie... to have it repaired so easily with no real discussion about it... I know this is a Disney movie, but I just wanted there to be more of it. It doesn't necessarily have to come to an end immediately after the main conflict is resolved. Shouldn't we get to savor that resolution with the characters for 5-10 minutes first?
I won't give anything away, but how the resolution regarding Moana, Maui and Te Fiti comes about... it's something you don't immediately expect, but once you realize what's happening, the pay-off is pretty spectacular.
Interestingly, this movie really doesn't have a villain. At least not in the way you normally expect. At least they didn't do what they did in "Frozen" where they seemed to tack on a villain in the last 15 minutes of the movie where it comes completely out of nowhere.
Yeah, I am still kinda upset about that. I'm not saying it had to be overtly obvious, but dropping a hint or two throughout the movie would've been nice.
Other than that and the whole "orphaning our protagonist(s)" cliché, "Frozen" is still one of my favorite Disney movies ever.
Where "Moana" will fit in with the legions of Disney princess movies, it's anyone's guess. It might not be another cultural phenomenon, but it's definitely another great addition to the franchise.
Grade: A-
