Now, I remember seeing the trailer for this when I saw Tangled when it was out in cinemas with my friends and we all said the same thing after the trailer ended: that is the stupidest idea I've ever heard of! Why take a very tragic and well known Shakespearean play, and make it into an animated film made for the kiddies, but use something as uninteresting and creepy as garden gnomes to tell the plot?! I mean, that's like making, I don't know, an animated version of the Titanic with a rapping dog-oh wait that does exist...Anyway, directed by Kelly Asbury, who helped with the first two Shrek films, it was originally supposed to be made by Pixar, but John Lasseter didn't like the idea. Then the rights of the film were given to Miramax, but then they closed down. Finally, Starz Animation (who made Tim Burton's 9) in Toronto got the rights and the movie was distributed by Touchstone, a company owned by Disney. So can this movie show that garden gnomes can actually be an interesting subject to see on the big screen for kids, or would this movie make the old bard roll in his grave? Let's find out!
Story: Like I mentioned before, the ridiculous premise was what immediately turned me off from seeing this movie when it first came out. And I have to say, it gave me what I was expecting! The story is just way too simplistic and isn't strong enough to hold onto a 90 minute film. Only the basics of the Romeo and Juliet story are in the movie, with the forbidden romance, Tybalt being killed, the families at war yadda, yadda, yadda. The changes made are beyond stupid & don't make any sense, and are underdeveloped or have no purpose but to make the running time longer! The humour is just awful! It consists of bad pop culture references, or very very lame gnome or Shakespeare puns which are painful and annoying! The ending is the worst part because not only is it insulting to the source material and is censored for children, but it's also predictable and makes the movie very inconsistent with the concept of how gnomes die! Gnomeo's father is meant to be dead & it's established being smashed in the gnome world means you're dead. But when Tybalt dies, at the end of the film he's seen alive, but glued together! I mean, come on, you pretty much contradicted your own gnome rules! Talk about a plot hole! Actually, is it me or is it like Toy Story but with gnomes? But here's the reason why the whole being inanimate thing worked in Toy Story, and why not in here! Even if the toys were in different places and were in different positions, it could easily be thought with the humans that their kids left them there. But in Gnomeo and Juliet, we're talking about garden gnomes, which would be kept in the same position in the same place all the time! If I noticed one disappeared or changed position, I'd be creeped out! The romance is extremely rushed and it doesn't actually feel like the protagonists are star-crossed lovers, but rather just a generic 'badass' couple we've seen in other animated films like Shrek. It doesn't really help it was directed by the same guy who worked on the movies! So, overall, I hate the story! It's uninspired, boring, generic & insulting to Shakespeare!
Animation: even if I don't like the plot, I have to admit the animation isn't bad. First off, I will say that it's very colourful and that it has a unique look. The textures are done well and the gnomes actually look like they're made of porcelain, and the sound editing helps with the chips and whenever someone touches them. Also, the backgrounds are very well done and are almost realistic, even though for nearly the entire movie, we're only in the back garden of someone's house. The character animation is a bit inconsistent ranging from realistic to more cartoony depending on each character. But there's a huge problem I have, and it's the character designs! I know, they're supposed to be gnomes, but I feel like they're not likeable designs and I found Gnomeo's very odd because it's as if they want us to find him bizarrely attractive and James McAvoy's voice doesn't suit it! Also, it doesn't feel like anything new, it just looks your generic animated film instead of anything amazing like other animated films out there! I can't say that it's bad, in fact it's good, but the flaws I mentioned are pretty big.
Probably one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen
Characters: I get the feeling that the part the writers cared the least about were the characters because none of them are worth liking or remembering! Most are just there to be one-off jokes or bland versions of the original characters voiced by millions of celebrities! First, there's Gnomeo, voiced by James McAvoy, and my problem with him is that he's just stupid. What I mean is he's just so naively optimisitc everything will be OK despite his romance with Juliet obviously being forbidden! Juliet, voiced by Emily Blunt, is just the generic sweet yet badass girl trying to be all sassy, and it doesn't really help that they try to make her original, even though we have seen this kind of character many times in modern animated women (again, look at Fiona from Shrek)! Nanette just annoyed me, which is a surprise for me since I normally like Ashley Jensen and she's just so unfunny in this! Tybalt, voiced by Jason Statham is just the cliched jerk with nothing else on him, and is an awful and bland villain! Benny, voiced by Matt Lucas annoyed me as well, and he was clearly the comedy relief, but he never made me laugh! Featherstone, a garden flamingo is the equivalent of Friar Lawrence and everyone loves him because of one scene where he lost his love, but he reminded me too much of Ray from The Princess and the Frog and annoyed me in the rest of the movie! Heck, they're both voiced by the same actor, Jim Cummings! The fawn voiced by Ozzie Osborne wasn't funny as well as them tiny gnomes with them irritating voices & ugly designs, and Lord Montague, voiced by Michael Caine, was just the generic overprotective father to Juliet! The only thing I will say is that the best character was the Hulk Hogan voiceover for the advertisement of the lawnmower: he's not in it for long, he at least made me chuckle a tiny bit, and he knew when to shut up! This is probably the worst part of the movie! It's not that the story is insultingly told by the original characters, it's told by the half-assed characters I just want to shut up whenever they appear!
I knew this would be a dumb film just based on it's premise! Gnomeo & Juliet is just a lazy piece of crap with an insulting & generic story, paper thin & bland characters but some nice animation. I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone, especially not Shakespeare fans who'd easily bash this film, and children might find some of the unsubtle adult humour funny. I'll just address the big elephant in the room with the music because it's nothing but Elton John songs, and they have no purpose whatsoever to be in the movie! They're poorly placed in sequences & even the score has some of his music in it! It's insufferable & annoying, & being an executive producer doesn't count! Now, I know there'll be a sequel to do with Gnomeo & Juliet meeting Sherlock 'Gnomes' (haha(!)) and all I have to say is...WTF?!
Hi guys, and Happy Valentine's Day! *sighs* the day of love, loved and despised for singletons like me! Sorry, being single sucks at the moment & have never been in a relationship so, moving on! So, why eleven if I could've done ten? It's Valentine's Day! Of course almost every love song in an animated film is good, that's why the Oscars love them! I was going to do twenty, there was that many, but I decided on eleven because I didn't want the post to be boring and tedious! Keep in mind this list is my own opinion, and if you prefer different songs or you think that they're ordered up wrong, that's cool! Everyone's entitled to their own opinion and I'm not stopping anyone to change it! Anyway, let's take a look at the list and I hope you enjoy it!
11) Accidentally In Love from Shrek 2! This has got to easily be my favourite song in the movie! Sung by the pop rock band The Counting Crows, it's placed during a montage of Shrek and Fiona's honeymoon, placing emphasis on how they weren't supposed to fall in love in the first movie, but are still together. The visuals also complement the song, featuring some funny gags and puns including a cameo from Ariel, and a Sound of Music reference only for them to be chased by a mob, but also making it sweet and romantic at the same time. The song ended up being nominated for an Oscar in 2004, but lost to Al otro lado del rio from The Motorcycle Diaries. A little known fact is this wasn't originally gonna be in the movie. It was used at the last minute because the original song used for the montage wouldn't fit in time with the animation, but the animated sequences were locked which meant they couldn't be changed. After lead singer Adam Duritz saw the sequence with no music, he was inspired to write it, which helped since he had a girlfriend at the time. I just can't help but love the catchy tune and sweet lyrics, it's a guilty pleasure of mine and if I can be honest, I much prefer the version used in the movie (the one in the video) rather than studio version in the soundtrack.
10) I See The Light from Tangled! I know I've said in the past that I'm not a huge fan of the songs from Tangled, but I See The Light is probably the only exception besides Mother Knows Best. Paying tribute to past Disney love songs and composed by Alan Menken, it has a bit more of a contemporary feel to it rather than being like a Broadway song. The visuals are just gorgeous, with all the lanterns illuminating the night sky with Rapunzel and Eugene in a small boat realizing their love for one another while Rapunzel has finally achieved her lifelong dream of seeing them, kind of like Kiss The Girl from The Little Mermaid. Wouldn't that just be the ultimate date?! Disney pop singer and actress Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, who you might know as the title character in the TV show Chuck, provide the voices for Rapunzel and Eugene, and they surprisingly manage to complement each other very well. The song also manages the tug on your heartstrings, which is probably it's biggest charm next to the breath-taking and sophisticated visuals.
9) I Won't Say (I'm In Love) from Hercules! This song could be considered the anomaly on this list since it's not about two characters expressing their love for each other, but rather someone denying their love because of past experiences. This is the case for Megara, as she's secretly seducing Hercules in order to help her master Hades find a weakness so he can defeat him, although she's really starting to fall for him. Hercules was my favourite Disney film as a kid, mostly for the character Meg and the music, despite it being rather odd that they're using gospel music in a movie set in Greece and I Won't Say I'm In Love is my favourite song in it. Broadway actress Susan Egan does a great job singing while still showing Meg's snarky side! I Won't Say I'm In Love...pretty much the perfect song about being in the friendzone!
8) Far Longer Than Forever from The Swan Princess! Like I mentioned in my review, I can't help but love this song! It's about the protagonists, Derek and Odette expressing their eternal love for each other despite being far away . The visuals and editing, including the back to back camera rotation and transitioning from scene to scene kind of remind me of a music video from the 90s promoting a movie like Disney did. The music itself is rather minimal, but it doesn't really matter and it is a very sweet song with the singers carrying it out perfectly. Broadway singers Howard McGillin and Liz Callaway do a great job as Derek and Odette's singing voices, and in a way, I don't understand why this song has been put into obscurity because it's actually a really good song! Far Longer Than Forever, the perfect love song for a monogamous marriage!
7) That's All I've Got To Say from The Last Unicorn! The Last Unicorn was one of my favourite movies growing up, and I just find this a sweet song about how clumsy courtship can be. It shows Prince Lir finding it hard to express his love for Lady Amalthea, a young woman who was a unicorn, but. I think the thing which surprises everyone is how good Jeff Bridge's singing voice is, considering he was more famous for his acting at the time rather than singing. It could be argued that it's trying to bring back the love song in an animated film trope because of Disney being in their dark ages, but I digress. I actually like how psychological the song is as Almalthea is conflicted with continuing her quest to find the rest of the unicorns, or to remain human and be with the prince. The animation is just beautiful with Amalthea and Liir trying to express their love for each other, with all the transitions and editing being like a music video. Overall, an underrated song from a very underrated film...that's all I've got to say!
6) Kiss The Girl from The Little Mermaid! Although I have massive gripes with Ariel and Eric as a romantic couple, this song just can't help but make me root for them as Sebastian uses his charms to get Eric to kiss Ariel so she can achieve her dream of being a human forever. I love the Jamaican vibe with the calypso music starting from slow and intimate, to being a full blown number as Ariel and Eric begin to realize their growing love while Sebastian and other colourful fish and birds serenade them in a small boat in a lagoon. I just can't help but love it, and personally, I think it's better than Under The Sea! Kiss The Girl, the perfect song for a first date!
5) You'll Be in My Heart from Tarzan! OK, I know this may be a bit of an odd choice, but I decided the list should include at least one song about the love between a parent and child, instead of just between romantic couples! The song is about the love a parent has for a child, which in the case of the movie, is the gorilla Kala and baby Tarzan, who she decides to raise after his parents are killed by the leopard Sabor. Composed and sung by singer Phil Collins, it has a contemporary pop feel to it like the other songs in the movie. Collins allegedly wrote the song for his then young daughter, actress Lilly Collins (the one from Mirror Mirror & Mortal Instruments), and I can understand why with the calming lyrics, almost like a lullaby. I can understand why this won the Oscar in 1999 for Best Original Song and I consider it to be underrated compared to other songs from the soundtrack!
4) If I Never Knew You from Pocahontas. OK, technically I'm cheating since this was a deleted song, but it was included in the 10 anniversary DVD and a version by Jon Secada and Shanice is used in the end credits, so in a way it counts. The song in the movie takes place after John Smith takes the blame for Kocoum's murder and is sentenced to death by Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas' father. Pocahontas goes to his tent to apologize for everything, but Smith uses the song as a thank you to Pocahontas and expresses his love for her and how he'd rather die than never know her. The song is beautiful, with the melody and lyrics by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz really helping set the scene, with the minimal visuals helping with the intimate atmosphere. I know Mel Gibson is a controversial actor, but I rather enjoyed his singing in this, with him and Broadway singer Judy Kuhn really complementing each other, and the way Gibson sings to Pocahontas really makes the song feel very comforting. The reason why it was cut out in the original run was because kids at the test screenings found it boring, as well as Menken feeling it slowed down the film. Pocahontas isn't really one of my favourite Disney films, but this song and the music in general are probably the strongest things about it. Overall I consider this an underrated Disney song and should be given more credit!
3) Can You Feel The Love Tonight from The Lion King! Probably my favourite song in the movie! The movie's version of the song shows childhood friends Simba and Nala reuniting and realizing their love for one another, while Timon and Pumbaa relay the events and are worried they've lost their friend. I love the tribal feel to it, with the visuals being fun and adorable at the same time with Simba and Nala playing around culminating in them. And honestly, that's all I've got to say about the movie's version. I love Elton John's version, it's a classic! I personally find it much better and he's pretty much the entire reason why I love this song, but I'm not saying the movie's version is bad! Nonetheless, it's still a sweet and romantic song written by the best in the music industry!
2) A Whole New World from Aladdin! Just listening to the first bars of this song immediately make you think of Disney! It shows the most iconic scene in the movie with Aladdin and princess Jasmine on a magic carpet rides, well, showing her a whole new world from her palace. The visuals are just gorgeous, and are so iconic that other movies like Let Me be Your Wings from Thumbelina and more recently How To Train Your Dragon have been accused of ripping it off! Singer Brad Kane and Broadway actress and singer Lea Salonga (well known for being in musicals like Miss Saigon & Les Miserables & would eventually be Mulan's singing voice) provide the singing voices for Aladdin and Jasmine, and they complement each other perfectly. I surprisingly like the funny moments during the scene as Aladdin and Jasmine fly around the world like the Sphinx's nose falling & the bird's WTF reaction to seeing them flying. Peabo Bryson's & Regina Belle's version is also great, but I much prefer Kane & Salonga's version, and I can understand why this won the Oscar for Best Original Song.While it is a very iconic and romantic song, it was a toss up between this and my number one choice for the top! Still, this is good enough to be very close to the top, and I feel like I'm flying whenever I listen to it!
Before number 1, I'll reveal my honourable mention!
So Close from Enchanted! I know the movie is part animated and part live action, but I can't help but love this song nonetheless! It takes place at the ball in New York while Robert and Giselle dance the King and Queen's Waltz, realizing their love for one another despite being engaged to other people. Yes, the rhythm doesn't fit that of an actual waltz, but I still enjoy it nonetheless and is probably the most contemporary song in the film next to Ever Ever After. The visuals are gorgeous, it's as if it was intended to be animated, but made in live action! Probably the most obvious reason why it isn't on the list is that it's in a live action sequence, not an animated one! Despite that, I love this song and it makes me feel like dancing whenever I hear it! And my number 1 Best Love Song from an Animated Film is...
1) Beauty and the Beast from, well, Beauty and the Beast! Come on, after my Beauty and the Beast review, you knew this would be on top! Composed by Alan Menken & written by lyricist Howard Ashman, it's during the iconic dance sequence with Belle and the Beast falling in love, and it's fricking adorable! Sorry, I love to girl out when watching it, I can't help it! Sung by Broadway legend Angela Lansbury, she just nails it perfectly as Mrs Potts, and I love how it's not sung by the main couple, but rather someone relaying the events as to how much their love has grown. The visuals are just gorgeous, the ballroom is amazing to look at with the sweeping camera angles from the ceiling with the cherubs watching and the shot from the chandelier panning down to Belle and the Beast dancing. As for the Peabo Bryson and Celine Dion version, I do enjoy it during the end credits, particularly in Bryson's part, but I personally love Lansbury's much more! I find it sad listening to this as it was Ashman's final project he worked on, and this is probably the best he's ever done next to Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid! Nevertheless, it's my favourite song from the movie and I still love it now & will continue to do so in the future! Beauty and the Beast, my personal favourite love song from an animated film ever!
Two days before Valentine's Day, I decided to review one Disney movie which mainly focused on romance, and what better one than a Disney Princess one? So after thinking about it, I decided to go with what people consider Disney's greatest love story, Beauty and the Beast! Based on Jean lePrince de Beaumont's French fairytale La Belle et la Bete, this is the 34th film in the Disney Animated canon, and came at the start at the Disney Renaissance after The Little Mermaid. It had a troubled production from the start when Walt Disney wanted to do it in the 40s, but had to scrap it alongside other project. Disney tried in the mid 80s, but they had trouble with adapting the story as there were only 2 characters in the original story, and it wasn't intended to be a musical. With the help of directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, screenwriter, Linda Woolverton, lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, they managed to fix it up and put it back in production in 1989, after the huge success of The Little Mermaid. Sadly, it would be Ashman's last project he ever worked on as he died of AIDS on March 14th 1991 and never saw the final movie. But on a brighter note, it became the first ever animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, even though it lost to Silence of the Lambs. So does this movie show that beauty really is skin deep, or is it as ugly as a beast? Let's find out!
Story: When it comes to the plot, Beauty and the Beast isn't exactly the easiest of stories to adapt into animation. But somehow, Disney managed to do it! The changes they made were definitely for the better, as the romance is nicely developed and not one plot overshadows the other. The romance is just beautiful and perfect, as Belle and the Beast's relationship begins to progress only when he starts to be nice to her and when they both start to put their defences down and get to know one another. Not once does it feel forced or contrived, it's just adorable once the Beast starts to be nice to Belle. I mean, it's not like past Disney romances where they fall in love at first sight or in a matter of days and decide they're meant for each other. Heck, Belle's desire isn't just to get married or find love, she just wants something even she can't comprehend! The comedy is also funny, and doesn't rely on adult humour, as the household objects also serve a purpose as to further develop the growing chemistry, and have distinct personalities. The pacing is also well done, and nothing feels rushed at all. If anything, I was surprised with the running time of because it felt longer, in a good way! I think what I love most is it knows it's a fairy tale and it should be treated like one instead of just having small elements and calling it a 'fairy tale'. Honestly, I don't have any qualms with the plot at all! Seriously, this one of them rare movies where there I don't have any problems whatsoever in terms of writing, it's simply perfect!
Animation: Even after 23 years, the animation it still very very beautiful to look at. I don't think there's any other character design which could fit each one perfectly, especially for Belle and the Beast, with the latter showing his emotions through his eyes and Belle being beautiful both inside and out. I know people have complained about the design for the human version of the Beast, but I personally don't mind it since she and the audience fell in love for the Beast for his personality, not his looks! The character animation is well done with a realistic approach on the humans, but I find it's much more creative on the non human characters like the household objects with Lumiere, Mrs Potts and, actually all of them! Even the Beast's movements reminds me of a wolf when he's more, well, beastly! What really impressed me was the scope of the movie, with the forests and the. It also has a French feeling to it through the architecture, like in the castle or the village where Belle lives. Speaking of places, the backgrounds are what impressed me the most! They really are beautiful to look at with the detail being perfect and having a fairy tale feeling, especially with the architecture of the Beast's castle. Glen Keane's animation on the transformation sequence just blew me away and is probably one of the best sequences in 2D animation I've ever seen, next to the dance sequence! The use of computer animation in the ballroom also impressed me, even if it may look really dated compared to others (in 1991, it would've been a marvel to look at) with the sweeping angles in the dance sequence being amazing to look at. The animation is just stunning & it just makes me wonder why 2D animation has died down in recent years!
Characters: I don't think I've ever seen such an amazing cast of characters with three dimensionality, personality and memorability. First, there's Belle, the oddball of her village because of her love for reading and wants to experience adventure. Also, unlike other Disney Princesses at the time, she doesn't fall prey to what the men around her tell her to do, is intelligent, and doesn't listen to what anyone says about her. She's also open minded as she starts to have feelings for the Beast and cares deeply about her family, and you genuinely feel like she's lost everything when she agrees to take her father's place as the beast's prisoner. The Beast is also likeable, as he believes he could never be loved by anyone because of his looks, and he's not really sure as to how courtship works with Belle. Personally, I think he could be the best Disney character ever written for his complexity. Yes, I adore Belle, but I find his character arc being more interesting as he starts to have feelings for Belle and becomes a kinder person for her. Gaston, the villain, wants to marry Belle just so he can have a trophy wife and for his reputation as the town hero, and wants to kill the beast because he thinks he's in the way of what he wants. I like that he's more realistic . The household objects like Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts also have funny and distinct personalities, with Lumiere being a Casanova love expert, Cogsworth being the punctual and bossy clock, and Mrs Potts being the kind and motherly teapot! I love that they don't force Belle and the Beast to get together, but let them take time to fall in love. Belle's father Maurice is also a great character, I love how loving he is to his daughter and can also be a bit eccentric at the same time, being an inventor. LeFou, Gaston's lanky can also be funny when commentating on the action going on and whenever he helps Gaston try to accomplish his goal of marrying Belle! This is probably the best aspect in the film next to the plot, as the characters in this helped see Disney from a new perspective, especially with how they represented women through Belle!
Songs: This movie has often been considered by critics as the best Broadway musical on the silver screen at the time of it's release...and they're right! Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's work is incredible, and unlike The Little Mermaid, it has a more Broadway feel to it and is much more consistent. The score is very enchanting and magical, fitting the visuals perfectly. Songs like Be Our Guest, Gaston or Belle are big showstoppers and have fun and catchy tunes are well as some funny lyrics, with the visuals fitting them perfectly. Even the small ones like Something There or the reprise of Belle are rather sweet and still have a purpose as they progress the character development or the romance between Belle and the Beast. I'm also going to go over Human Again since that was added into the movie in the DVD I have, and I love how it shows the curse from the household object's perspective, being a fun Broadway style number which surprisingly integrates well with the rest of the movie (I know it was in the Broadway version & that was why they put it back in!) But it's obvious which one's the best. I know it, you know it and Disney knows it: Beauty and the Beast! It's such a sweet and romantic song with amazing visuals, and Angela Lansbury just nails it with her singing! It brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it! Alan Menken & Howard Ashman's work is probably the best I've ever seen next to The Little Mermaid & Little Shop Of Horrors, this movie is the perfect farewell for the late Howard Ashman in terms of music & lyrics!
The best word to describe this movie is beautiful. Beauty and the Beast is a gem of a film with a heartwarming and romantic story, amazing animation, unforgettable and endearing characters and songs which will get stuck in your head! This is a perfect watch for Valentine's Day for all you lovers out there, and even if you're single, you can just girl out to how adorable it is! Children will also enjoy this as much and well, it's actually perfect for all the family no matter how old you are! Personally, I think this is Disney's most perfect telling of a fairy tale ever! It's not only one of my favourite Disney movies, it's one of my favourite movies period, and I can understand why it got that Best Picture nomination & Golden Globe win! I love watching it now and will continue to do so in the future, it's simply perfect! Story: 10/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 Songs: 10/10 Overall: 10/10
Now, I remember seeing the trailer for this when I saw Tangled when it was out in cinemas with my friends and we all said the same thing after the trailer ended: that is the stupidest idea I've ever heard of! Why take a very tragic and well known Shakespearean play, and make it into an animated film made for the kiddies, but use something as uninteresting and creepy as garden gnomes to tell the plot?! I mean, that's like making, I don't know, an animated version of the Titanic with a rapping dog-oh wait that does exist...Anyway, directed by Kelly Asbury, who helped with the first two Shrek films, it was originally supposed to be made by Pixar, but John Lasseter didn't like the idea. Then the rights of the film were given to Miramax, but then they closed down. Finally, Starz Animation (who made Tim Burton's 9) in Toronto got the rights and the movie was distributed by Touchstone, a company owned by Disney. So can this movie show that garden gnomes can actually be an interesting subject to see on the big screen for kids, or would this movie make the old bard roll in his grave? Let's find out!
