Animation in Obscurity: The Legend of the Titanic

Yep. It has come. I am finally reviewing the infamous Italian animated Titanic movies which have become well known for being not only some of the worst animated movies of all time, but also some of the worst films period! Both have been known to be similar as they feature talking mice as prominent side characters, being released one year apart & have love stories with numerous similarities to the James Cameron film. Anyway, to start off I'll be reviewing The Legend of the Titanic, which was released in 1999 & is said to be even worse with how it tells the story of the sinking of the Titanic & is much more messed up than the other one despite the fact it features a rapping dog! But which of these animated atrocities do I personally think is worse? Let's. Find. Out!

Story: Although it may seem like just a carbon copy of the James Cameron movie (which it essentially is), it is much more insane than you think it is! Not only is it told by talking mice that have no need to exist in a movie about the Titanic, a gang of evil sharks, some stupid moonbeam bullshit involving talking dolphins & tears, but the movie somehow changed it so that NOBODY DIED ON THAT FATEFUL DAY! Seriously, it still blows my mind how the writers came up with that idea as if they didn't know the sinking of the Titanic actually happened & used it as a framing for the plot at the beginning! And what makes it stupider is there's a giant talking octopus with a puppy dog face that's treated as a hero for saving everyone even though there were enough lifeboats for everyone this time round (I'm not kidding) & that the sinking was apparently done on purpose by the villains. And what makes this even worse is that the movie somehow manages to cram in an unecessary, in your face & painful anti-whaling message which is just there for the movie to have some sort of moral out of this tragedy that killed hundreds of people which apparently didn't happen in this film! Like I mentioned, the love story is a copy of the James Cameron film, except boring, stupid, underdeveloped & the villain is about as unsubtle as the movie's anti-whaling message along with the fact no one dies & the animals are the ones to set them up! There are tons of plot holes, inconsistencies, pacing problems (seriously, there are either scenes which drag too long which don't need to & then there are scenes which go on at about 90 miles an hour!) I have never seen such a shallow, disgusting, vacuous & insulting story for an animated film ever! And given the round up of bad animated movies I've reviewed so far, that's saying a lot!

 

Animation: If I had to give the movie any credit whatsoever, at least the animation is kinda decent. Despite the fact that there's a lot of deep cleavage up to the point that it's disturbing, Tentacles has a weird puppy dog face & that the sharks have fins where genitalia should be, the character designs are kinda nice with a realistic look to them on the humans & a more cartoony look on the animals. The look of the Titanic is also nice in the first class area along with the fact the movie does capture the fashion people wore in the 1910s. However, there are a few glitches in the animation which avoids it from being good, in particular the lip synching as it never ever matches what the actors are saying, completely ignoring the fact it's an English dub of an Italian film. Seriously, there are loads of moments where the lips don't move at all when they're talking! Anyway, the CGI on the exterior shots of Titanic are awful & blatantly obvious along with the water, the character animation can get pretty lazy along with the quality at some points as it can get pretty jerky & inconsistent. Trust me when I say that the character animation on the talking mice can get really fast just makes the movie very distracting! Anyway, although it's nowhere near as bad as the other animated Titanic movie, the animation still has some problems which avoids it from looking amazing.

 

Characters: Like the story, the characters have absolutely no purpose to be in a movie about the Titanic, and yet they somehow are! Elizabeth is pretty much the Rose of the movie except very bland, Don Juan (now an Andalucian prince instead of a poor artist like Jack) is the creepy generic love interest who 50% of the time smells Elizabeth's glove, Connors & Ronnie are the 'cute' mice sidekicks who got really annoying really fast & have no purpose to be in the movie whatsoever. Maltravers is the blatantly obvious & stupid villain that wants to marry Elizabeth so he can go whale hunting & wants to sink the Titanic to cover his tracks. Believe me when I say that the fact that he's voiced by the same guy who was also the rapping dog in the other animated Titanic movie is the least of my problems with this character! His lackeys Rachel (Elizabeth's evil stepmother) & Geoffrey are no better as they're also obviously evil & pointless. Elizabeth's father the Duke of Camden (maybe a take that to a certain Mr Cameron?) is just a moron who at first forces his daughter to marry Maltravers & then suddenly changes his mind for no reason & mumbles 95% of the time. And then there's Tentacles, who really got on my nerves being stupid, gullible, annoying & yet is somehow treated as a hero for saving everyone! Also, he just freaks me out with how huge he is! Mr Ice is the leader of the shark gang who manipulates Tentacles into throwing the iceberg towards the Titanic with no effort required. The factor of the talking mice is just unbelievable in itself, with an orchestra of them along with talking birds & Another huge problem I have with these characters is the atrocious voice acting. It's either they ham it up, don't give a crap, mumble or the weird fact literally everyone has a lisp which can get very distracting! None of these characters are worth liking & the fact the animals are in it at all make it absolutely insane!

 

This has broken grounds in terms of bad animated movies & to call it stupid, insane & insulting is a huge understatement! The Legend of the Titanic is not only one of the worst animated movies I've sat through, this is one of the worst movies I've ever seen! Period! I cannot believe a group of people actually came up with this & actually thought they could get away with messing up history & insulting the people who died on the Titanic! Even the average animation can't make up for it with the vacuous plot, uninteresting characters & horribly spitting in the face of history. Avoid this at all costs people, & just stick with the live action Titanic movies out there like the James Cameron movie & A Night to Remember (which is my personal favourite Titanic movie). Anyway, one down...one to go! Oh boy...oh yeah, and I am not reviewing the sequel Tentacolino!
Story: 0/10
Animation: 4/10
Characters: 0/10
Overall: 0/10

Animation in Obscurity: Cats Don't Dance

This is one movie that I've been meaning to review in a while. Originally intended to be a star vehicle for Michael Jackson by producing & acting in it along with being a music & choreography consultant, he eventually left the project. I know what you're thinking, this would've been a completely different film if he stayed for it! Anyway, directed by Mark Dindal, who'd eventually go on to direct The Emperor's New Groove & Chicken Little, this was released by Warner Brothers in 1997, but would unfortunately be a box office bomb thanks to crappy marketing, making only $3 domestically from a $32 million budget! To call that bad would be an understatement! But on a brighter note, it did win some Annie Awards & became the first non Disney animated film to win a Best Animated Feature Annie & Randy Newman also won Best Individual Achievement: Music in a Feature/Home Video Production for this movie! So can this movie bring me back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, or is there a reason why nobody saw it? Let's find out!

Story: When it comes to the plot, it's actually pretty different compared to the other animated films of the 90s. Yes, it may have the chipper wide eyed hero that has dreams of being big, falls in love, there's a villain they have to defeat & that it's a musical, but the movie does attempt to make it feel refreshing by not only having the world having humans & anthropomorphic animals, but also being set during the Golden Age in Hollywood in the late 30s. Even the references to popular movies & actors at the time like Gone With The Wind, The Wizard of Oz & King Kong are pretty funny along with the movie posters during the ending montage (although some are obviously just put in for whatever movie was popular at the time like The Mask & Batman and Robin). I also liked seeing them parody Disney cliches like the storybook opening, Darla Dimple herself & the musical numbers. I also enjoyed the humour whether it's the Warner Brothers style slapstick, the movie references like I mentioned & Sawyer's & Danny playing off against each other. Another thing I'd like to add is that the movie acts as an allegory on racism & segregation, with the animals being used to represent African Americans in the movie industry at the time being forced to either be extras or racial stereotypes no matter how talented they were. It oddly works in this movie & it felt interesting for a movie to tackle this subject matter in a movie for children without it seeming heavy handed or blatantly obvious. However, there are a few issues, like the romance between Danny & Sawyer is cliched in that they first hate each other then suddenly like each other because they're literally the only cats in the movie, the pacing is way too fast  (heck, the sad moment in the film for Danny happens in the first 20 minutes of the movie!) & therefore causes the movie to barely have any character development or time to slow down & the third act can get very cliched with the misunderstanding with everyone moping & then the animals triumph over Darla at her movie premiere. However, other than that, the story isn't really all that bad!

 

Animation: Since this is made by Warner Brothers, the animation is pretty good! It kind of reminded me of the works of Tex Avery with the cartoony atmosphere along with the character designs & animation, especially shown in slapstick, but also managed to have it's own style so it wouldn't be cofnused for something like Disney or Don Bluth. The backgrounds are also very good as they remind me of the Golden Age of Hollywood from the movie posters to the sets, to the movies made & even some parodies of olden time movies like the MGM logo & the movie posters at the end of the film! I even liked how colourful it was & it managed to keep the upbeat atmosphere. But possibly the biggest highlight in the movie is the musical numbers. Rather it be the elaborate staging like a Broadway number or a 30s movie like in Nothing's Gonna Stop Us & Big & Loud, or the choreography thanks to the legendary Gene Kelly, they are all memorable from beginning to end & it actually felt like watching a Broadway musical. However, the movie does get a couple of points off for a few infrequencies where it goes from really good to a bit cheap. Still, the animation in a whole is pretty good! Not the best I've ever seen, but not the worst either!

Characters: Honestly, despite the interesting story, the characters in this aren't very memorable or well developed. Danny is pretty much the generic wide eyed & naive optimist that wants to make it big in Hollywood despite the restrictions given to animals in acting. He doesn't change at all as a character & is partly why the movie does suffer. Sawyer is just the generic love interest while also being a foil towards Danny due to her past experiences as a dancer. There's not much to her besides Natalie Cole providing her singing voice. But then comes possibly the best character in the movie, Darla Dimple, an obvious Shirley Temple parody that acts sweet to the camera, but is in reality a raging psycho that has a deep hatred for animals. Rather it be the voice acting or over the top facial expressions, she just made me laugh every time she appeared . Her bodyguard, Max, an obvious parody of Boris Karloff, was also funny & made me laugh a lot. But, unfortunately the side characters are no better than the main ones. TW the turtle is the shy one, Tillie is the prissy girl (well, hippo), Cranston the goat & Frances the fish are the cynical ones & Pudge is the cute one (I hate them type of characters who are just there to be cute) that have no purpose to be in the movie, don't contribute anything to the plot & are mostly there so the movie can have quirky side characters which don't need to exist. Anyway, there's also Wooly the Mammoth, a parody of the lion from the MGM logo & was mostly there to give exposition with Sawyer's backstory, but John Rhys Davies' performance was pretty good. Besides the villains, the characters don't really offer anything to make us care about them & definitely aren't as developed as they should be.

 

Songs: Besides the villains, good animation & good story, the songs have got to be the highlight of the film. Rather it be the Gene Kelly-esque choreography (which makes sense since Gene Kelly was a dancing consultant for this movie), the staging or the songs themselves, they're pretty good. The first one, Our Time Has Come, is pretty catchy as we see Danny on his journey to Hollywood & admittedly got my toes tapping to the beat. Danny's Arrival Song was pretty good rather it be Scott Bakula's pretty good singing voice, the choreography or the Broadway feeling with the brass band. The Animal Jam is pretty forgettable & does nothing to contribute to the plot, that's about it. Lil' Ark Angel, while not as memorable, was pretty catchy & I liked how it parodied really cheesy & sweet songs from Shirley Temple's movie & it also reminded me of a Broadway show. Big & Loud is pretty good as it really reminds me of a big Broadway number & the reprise of it really made it a memorable villain's song rather it be the big band feel or the more freaky imagery. Tell Me Lies isn't really that memorable despite the jazz mood, Natalie Cole's singing voice & attempts to give Sawyer character development. Still, it was nice for the movie to finally have a quieter song compared to the other songs in the movie! Nothing's Gonna Stop us Now is probably the best song of the movie & is a pretty good finale as the animals finally get to show their talent to humans with a very catchy tune, really impressive staging & funny juxtaposition of Darla trying to sabotage it by epicifying it. However, despite them being good, they really can't stand well on their own as they only work in the context of the movie.

 

 

Overall, this isn't all that bad, but it does have a few flaws which avoids it from being an amazing film. Although Cats Don't Dance has good animation, a really good soundtrack & a pretty interesting concept for the story, the pacing is way too fast, the writing can get cliched & the characters don't really show why we need to care about them. I'd probably recommend this to people who like animated musicals, & not just ones made by Disney, to give it a watch on YouTube at least once because it is worth watching despite it's flaws. I'd even recommend this to Randy Newman fans as the songs he wrote are actually pretty good in this film! You know, I'm glad I'm back doing Animation in Obscurity as it was actually nice looking back at this film after so long!
Story: 6/10
Animation: 8/10
Characters: 5/10
Songs: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Yes, the last High School Musical movie ended up getting a theatrical release after 3 years of tons of kids/pre teen girls getting all the merchandise, singing all the songs & quoting & acting out every single scene (trust me, I was the target demographic when it first came out & everyone in my school did exactly the same!). And it ended up being a big success at the box office making over $250 million worldwide against a budget of $11 million & set a record for a musical film in it's opening weekend by making $50 million in the US alone with an addition $40 million in the foreign box office. Yep, it already made over eight times it's budget in just one weekend! Now that Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad & Taylor are taking their final bow on the big screen ( completely ignoring the spin-off Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure), should we give them a standing ovation for all their efforts in the past movies, or will it feel as insufferable & nail biting as having to revise for finals? Let's find out!

 

Story: Unlike the last 2 movies which were relentlessly cliched & superficially cheesy, this one is just a bit cliched & cheesy. This one actually has the group make a musical about their senior year as they'll be going off to university, which is pretty fitting way to end the franchise if you ask me. Also, although the romance still doesn't avoid being really irritatingly cute, this time round they actually discuss their futures & what's more important as Gabriella is given the opportunity to go to a programme in Stanford which would mean she'd miss prom & the musical they've been working on. Also, I do like some of the twists like that Kelsi & Ryan are the ones to get the Julliard scholarship rather than Troy just because he's the hero & Troy found a way to do both basketball & music at university. Also, I like that they go into the characters more with the conflict that any kid leaving high school would go through like what they want out of life, if they're gonna go to uni, (yeah, I can relate to them now since I've finished my senior year & still waiting to see if I get into uni) & if they're gonna remain friends. If I had issues, it would be the subplot involving Sharpay (whose back to being a bitch AGAIN) & the new character Tiara Gold (yes, that's her real name) ripping off All About Eve. It was just pointless to me other than Sharpay to have something else to do other than worry about the Julliard scholarship & try to ruin Troy & Gabriella's romance. Yeah, there's no denying that it's unbeliveably cheesy, but at least this time they put more effort in! And honestly, I just can't hate it cos it brought so much nostalgia for me!

Characters:  Although the characters are still their same cliched selves, they actually get development this time round (I know, big shocker!)! Troy this time round is struggling with what he wants after high school, with the internal conflict actually being really relateable as all kids who are leaving high school can feel empathy for him. Gabriella is still the sweet yet smart love interest, but is the one. Sharpay is back to being the blonde bitch AGAIN, but she does get to vindicate herself by the end for good thanks to her All About Eve plot with Tiara. Ryan gets more development this time round as he gets to show off what he can do in the field of choreography and Lucas Grabeel gets to show off his vocals much more compared to the other films. Chad & Taylor are still the best friends for Troy & Gabriella, but they're much more supportive compared to the other films & Chad in particular is more developed as he's worried about the future & if he'll remain friends with Troy when they head off to university. Kelsi is really there to compose the songs again & is the one who signed everyone up to do the musical as it'll be the last ever thing they'll do together in high school. Zeke & Jason (two other Wildcats I neglected to mention in my other reviews as they contributed pretty much nothing) can be pretty funny & it's kinda nice to see Zeke's little crush on Sharpay be resolved in the last movie. Ms Darbus this time round, while she can be over the top, actually manages to the subtle (*GASP*) in one scene with Troy & is the one who submitted an application for him for Julliard & actually made me gain more respect for her. But then...there are the new characters. Tiara Gold (who'd name their child Tiara?!) is there to be a stereotypical British version of Sharpay whose revealed to have been manipulating her during the musical. She really annoyed her & she doesn't even have a good singing voice! But at least she's not as bad as Jimmy 'The Rocket' & Donny, who are Troy & Chad fanboys/expys who really annoyed me just shouting all the time & going crazy over them. Well, Jimmy was pretty funny during the musical & actually has a good singing voice. The recurring characters, while still stereotypical, are actually given development this time round, while the new ones are just annoying & unecessary!

 

OK, I'll admit! I was dancing along to some of the songs this time round! OK, some are still pretty pointless or cheesy, but it's an improvement from the others. Now Or Never is catchy, but when they stop the game for Troy & Gabriella to sing is just so laughably cheesy. Right Here Right Now is just a pointless duet between the main couple & did nothing to contribute the plot. I Want it All is Sharpay & Ryan's big musical number which is actually pretty good as it's a song more about ambition rather than just showing off their wealth & I actually like the fantasy sequence with the set designs & the actors playing their groupies. Can I Have This Dance is just there for Troy & Gabriella to have another duet, but it's still pretty sweet & innocent. A Night To Remember is actually really well done as it's actually during a rehearsal for the musical with the sets & dancing being pretty big & the lyrics can be pretty funny. I Just Wanna Be With You, while being for a rehearsal, is probably the most cheesy song in the movie & is, again, another duet for Troy & Gabriella. The Boys Are Back is entirely pointless as it's just about Troy & Chad playing make believe as kids in the junk yard, but it's still pretty well done with the sets & choreography. Walk Away is a pretty bland sad solo song for Gabriella with the visuals being much more pretentious with the symbolism behind it. Scream, while reminiscent of the angry dance from Footloose is actually really well done & creative as Troy is struggling with what he wants for his future and university, with the visuals representing his internal conflict like basketballs surrounding him and the room spinning around (no, seriously, he spins around with it upside down!) & it actually shows how he's feeling & contributes to the plot.  There is a remix of We're All in this Together at the end which is just pushing it with the cheesy atmosphere! And then there's the final song High School Musical, which is just a cheesy pop song which is there to be the movie's (and trilogy's) grand finale. There are way too many songs in this & are still cheesy & fluffy, but to their credit, the visuals are very creative & tie in well to the plot & are pretty catchy.

 

Overall...this isn't actually that bad! The production design & musical numbers are a huge upgrade due to the bigger budget& the story, while still on the cliched & thin, is surprisingly relateable for teens during their final year of high school, the characters are actually well developed & the songs, while cheesy, are still catchy! I know their portrayal of high school is really Disney-fied & artificial, but it's a huge improvement over the last 2 films! If you want a cheesy fun movie full of early 2000s music, then this one is for you!
Story: 7/10
Characters: 6/10
Songs: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

High School Musical 2

It was inevitable the first High School Musical would get a sequel after how much of a success it was. Released a year after the first film, this one would become Disney Channel's highest rated movie ever with more than 17 million people watching it's premiere, roughly 10 million more than it's predecessor! So can this sequel feel like the ultimate summer vacation, or does it feel like having a very lazy summer doing nothing but sitting in your bedroom on your laptop? Let's find out!

Story: Although I give credit that it doesn't rehash the first High School Musical, this movie is somehow worse with the story! Rather than being formulaic, it's just pointless with surprisingly mixed messages. Anyway, it's about the group from the last movie having summer jobs at Sharpay's country club with Troy focusing on his prospective college & therefore blowing off his friends...and somehow he's portrayed as the bad guy! Anyway, they also retconned Sharpay by making her a bitch again & wanting to be with Troy for no reason whatsoever other than for some sort of other conflict besides Troy blowing off his friends...that's about it as the movie doesn't do much for it's running time other than annoyingly cute Troy & Gabriella romance moments & angst, Ryan gaining the respect of the group & actually being his own character & Sharpay making Troy have a ton of perks with his promotion. And the cheesiness level compared to the first film is just up to eleven due to the rather unrealistic premise & the colour pallette is just way too bright & saturated, making Troy's skin look orange & Gabriella's hair blue! Overall, it just feels heartless & it doesn't help that the movie does nothing to make it seem plausible with quite a few plot holes. Yes, it may not be a rehash, but it's really watered down in comparison to it's predecessor.

 

 

Characters: In this one, the characters have not changed at all. Well, Triy has changed, but can come across as a jerk, when in reality, he's thinking about his future! Gabriella this time round is just the main love interest with no personality or actual development. Sharpay has gone full circle back to the bitch she was in the first film as she wants Troy...because they needed conflict between the main couple? Whatever, she's just there to be the villain! Then there's Ryan, probably the best character in this movie as he actually avoids just being Sharpay's henchman & is actually shown to be a dance loving & talented guy who is just friendly to everyone...too bad a character like that can't exist in reality! This is High School Musical after all! Chad & Taylor are pointless besides being the token minority best friends that give Troy & Gabriella advice. Mr Fulton is just an over the top manager at the country club, except he's not funny! Kelsi has not changed at all other than to ship Troy & Gabriella & to make up some bad songs for the movie! There's nothing else to say other than that they're as bland as before, but the character development is just mixed up compared to the first film!

 

Songs: While the songs in the first film were insufferable & cheesy, this one has the same qualities, except they're more bland! Yes, the songs in the first one were awful like I just said, but at least the tunes ended up being imprinted in my brain! What Time is It is just the obligatory crowd song as it's about them being excited about summer while in the high school after the bell rings...and not cleaning out their lockers & actually leaving like they want to! Fabulous is just an awful song for Sharpay placing emphasis on her Paris Hilton-esque lifestyle. Work This Out is just bad & forgettable with Troy convincing the others to have fun working even though they could get fired. You Are the Music in Me is just so cheesy with really lame lyrics which I didn't care about! And Sharpay's version later is somehow worse! I Don't Dance is just so bad in that Chad sings about dancing despite having already danced earlier in the movie & in the first film as well as having bad choreography. I've Gotta Go My Own Way is just Gabriella's obligatory sad love song which is forgettable with the execution being terrible! Bet On It is easily the worst song in the movie & is just so hilariously bad with the awful attempt at Billy Elliot/Footlosose-esque anger dance choreography making it that much funnier (as well as the infamously bad CGI reflection of him in the water) Everyday is this movie's version of Breaking Free & it's really watered down! It would've at least been tolerable if it weren't for the really corny addition of their friends/staff from the country club! All For One is just pointless with a bland melody with lyrics just about summer & is essentially a watered down version of We're All in This Together from the last film! Another issue I have this time round is that the movie really overuses the backing vocals for solos considering the movie wants to be a musical rather than have generic pop songs in a movie!

 

I honestly think High School Musical 2 is worse than the first film, Yes, it may have a formulaic plot with paper thin characters, but the second movie is worse in every other aspect! This gets characterisation completely wrong, the story is a mess & is pointless & the songs are bland & forgettable as well as cheesy (of course) I'd only recommend this to the die hard High School Musical fans because clearly it was made more for them!
Story: 2/10
Characters: 2/10
Songs: 2/10
Overall: 2/10

High School Musical

This is going to be a special review as I'll be reviewing every High School Musical movie over the next few days, as well as maybe the spin-off Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure. Anyway, released in 2006, this movie would become a huge phenomenon for kids & pre-teens everywhere as we hadn't seen before for Disney or for today's audience (well, if you can ignore Fame and Grease which are still considered classics today) This movie would also be a star vehicle for actors like teen heartthrob Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens & singer/actor Lucas Grabeel, as well as starring then The Suite Life of Zack & Cody star Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay. Directed by Kenny Ortega, the same guy behind the Material Girl music video & choreographer of the classic Dirty Dancing, can this movie be as good as Grease, or does this movie deserve a bad report card? Let's find out!

Story: I don't think I'm going to surprise people when I say that this movie's depiction of high school is completely devoid of realism! Then again, it is Disney! Anyway, this mostly focuses on the romance between geeky yet cute new girl Gabriella and popular jock Troy Bolton as they get a big callback for their school's musical despite the people around them telling them to 'stick to the status quo', especially the big bitch of the school Sharpay along with her brother Ryan. There's no denying that it's predictable, cliched &, worst of all, very very cheesy! It does nothing to make it feel original or fresh whatsoever, with no attempts at  adding in twists or turns at all. However, I will give it credit that it seems to be aware that it's going for a more silly &, ahem, 'perky' tone. But the issue with that is the story itself ends up becoming a huge mess, with the romance being boring, the subplot involving Troy & his dad feeling really forced & Sharpay's villainous plan has no sense of threat or anything that climatic other than just so the movie can have some sort of artificial conflict. The message about friendship & being yourself is just so hand fisted & so in your face, it's probably just as bad as the Barbie movies! Seriously, this movie is so cliched that if the writers had just thought up of every cliche in a high school movie & shoved it all into a blender, I'd believe them!

 

 

Characters: Since the story is very cliched, it's evident that so will the characters! And the worst part is that most of the time, they do nothing to express why we should feel for them! These are possibly the most generic & dull characters I've ever had to sit through in a Disney movie! Troy Bolton is just the cliched popular guy that has a secret love for something & is at a crossroads in his life, but realizes what's important. It doesn't really help most of the time he can come across as a douchebag! Gabriella is the cliched girl next door that's also smart who annoyed me so much! And not just because of Vanessa Hudgens' acting as you could easily hire any other actress or even a plank of wood & it would still be the same! Chad, Troy's best friend is the obligatory black best friend cliche that is the straw man telling Troy to keep high school in a conformist matter. Same goes to Taylor, Gabriella's best friend who can also come across as a jerk in one particular scene when convincing her to stop singing! Sharpay is just the stereotypical blonde bitch that wants to be the centre of attention whose development from being mean to nice comes right out of nowhere! Ryan, her brother, is probably the best character even if he's Sharpay's henchman as he can actually be funny thanks to Lucas Grabeel's performance. By the way, am I the only one who finds it creepy they audition for the romantic leads despite being brother & sister? Kelsi is the really cliched shy girl that does music who learns to be more confident in herself. Honestly, there's nothing else to her. Coach Bolton, who happens to be Troy's father, is the cliched closed minded dad that wants his son to do basketball rather than follow his dreams & realizes how much it means to him by the end! And probably the most over the top character is Mrs Darbus, the school's drama teacher that has a hatred for cell phones & basketball. Besides that, there's nothing else to her & she really annoying! I know, it's a movie & does not need to reflect on reality, but a movie about high school needs to have some degree of realism with the characters! This one however, just shows the flaws of relying on cliches!

 

 

Songs: Oh God, what can I say about the songs?! They are cheesy! They are corny! They're pure 2000s cheese with corn on the side! However, they oddly work with the tone with the movie! Yes, I may hate them, but I'll give them credit that they're aware of the silly tone & therefore, the songs should fit it! Anyway, I'll do the laundry list. Start of Something New is just a pretentious song as it clearly reflects on the situation Troy & Gabriella are in & for them to start falling in love despite only just meeting. Getcha Head in the Game is actually confusing getting down to it as it's about Troy choosing basketball over singing, while blatantly singing to the camera & with his teammates. What I've Been Looking For is way too campy & over the top. Stick to the Status Quo is the obligatory crowd song which goes into the same category as Getcha Head in the Game, but also the lyrics are stupid & the overall tone is beyond ridiculous! Miracles Could Happen is one of the worst solos I've heard with the choreography & Gabriella herself just amping up the cheese factor the movie has to offer. Bop To The Top might be the best one as it is admittedly catchy & thankfully, has nothing to do with the characters or how they feel or whatever's going on in the movie. No, that goes to Breaking Free, a very corny duet which is way more pretentious than the first song due to the blatantly obvious parallels between the lyrics & the story despite being written for the school's musical! And probably the worst one of the bunch, We're All In This Together which comes out of nowhere with the message of everyone being friends & just being hand fisted so hard! Sure, the songs are very VERY cheesy & bad as well as insufferable 98% of the time, but at least the movie seems to be aware of it.

 

High School Musical is an example of how not to do a movie about high school, which is shocking cos it's Disney. Although it's harmless, the story is relentlessly cliched with absolutely nothing new, the characters are stereotypes of stereotypes & the songs are beyond cheesy & stupid! Although kids may like it, this is not for people expecting a serious movie that treats high school seriously. Just stick with Grease, Fame & even movies like Mean Girls or Juno which depict high school much better! Well, at least it's not as bad as Glee!
Story: 2/10

Characters: 3/10
Songs: 2/10

Overall: 2/10

Mr Peabody & Sherman

This animated film is based on the animated segment Mr Peabody's Impossible History from the popular cartoon The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle by Jay Ward. I'm just gonna be blunt & say that I've never seen it nor do I know much about them! Anyway, this seems like more of a small Hollywood flick for Dreamworks in 2014 compared to the other 2 released this year, How To Train Your Dragon 2 and the upcoming Penguins of Madagascar movie. With director Rob Minkoff, who was also the director of both The Lion King and Stuart Little, under it's belt, will this movie make history feel like a huge adventure, or will it be as bad as the other films based on a cartoon out there? Let's find out! And I'll try & avoid making any Doctor Who jokes considering the time travel premise!

Story: Considering I don't know anything about the show it's based on, I will give it credit that it does establish the characters very well. I love how the movie takes advantage of the time travel premise by having Sherman, Penny & Mr. Peabody go to different places like the French Revolution, Ancient Egypt, Troy & even to Italy around the time of Leonardo da Vinci. It helps that it takes it's time in each of these places as one doesn't overshadow the other & they also manage to take advantage of the time settings for some great humour. However, I do have an issue with the relationship between Mr Peabody & Sherman. It's not bad, but the issue I have is the fact people around them have a huge problem with them because...Mr Peabody is a dog. No other reason despite the fact he's probably the most intelligent being in the world & is obviously capable of raising a human boy! And it doesn't help Ms Grunion is just there to have a villain while the movie would've been fine as just a fun time travel adventure! And the movie also has the trademark Dreamworks pop culture/low brow humour where some is actually good, some aren't really, but at least it's not as bad as past Dreamworks films like Shark Tale or Over The Hedge. Despite the fact it feels like a generic Hollywood animated film, I'll say that it's a good one.

 

Animation: Considering one of Dreamwork's strong points in their movies is their animation, this one is no exception. The character designs do seem to pay tribute to the original cartoon by being cartoony, but I'm not so sure about it looking so polished when the original had that rough look which made it more appealing. Anyway, the texturing on the skin, fur & hair is still really good as it is! Since this is a time travel movie, it takes full advantage with the backgrounds & I have to say, they actually look quite gorgeous, as there are many fast paced action scenes throughout which make it much more fun to look at. Another part I love is the segments where we go into Mr Peabody's mind as we see everything going on from his perspective in order to see how he manages to come up with solutions for different whacky situations him & Sherman and Penny get into. Also, the special effects are very nice to look at like whenever the WABAC goes in time (which also reminds me of Doctor Who for some reason) or when (kinda SPOILERS) when the space/time continuum/paradox goes crazy when different 2 versions of Sherman touch each other. Overall, the animation looks pretty nice to look at, but it doesn't really come close to Dreamwork's best like Rise of the Guardians or the How To Train Your Dragon movies.

Characters: Although I haven't seen the show this is based on, it seems like they've paid tribute to them. Mr. Peabody, voiced by Ty Burrell, is literally the most interesting & intelligent creature ever up to the point that he's admirable. I like how he establishes everything for the audience and is pretty much the driving force of the plot being a loving father to Sherman. Speaking of Sherman, I found him to be a bit grating at times wanting to be independent just because the other people around him tell him to, but he's not as bad as other animated kids I've seen in the past. Penny, voiced by Ariel Winter, while a really harsh bully towards Sherman at the beginning of the movie, suddenly starts to like him as the time travel adventure progresses. The sudden liking to him literally comes out of nowhere & it's never explained why she does other than the movie says so. Her parents, voiced by Stephen Colbert & Leslie Mann, aren't really as quirky as the other characters nor do they appear much, but they can be funny mostly because of their voice actors. Ms Grunion, voiced by Alison Janey, is just there for the movie to have an antagonist & cause conflict between Mr. Peabody & Sherman just because he's a dog! Easily the biggest highlight, next to Mr. Peabody himself, would have to be the historical characters like King Tut, Leonardo da Vinci, King Agamemnon, George Washington & Marie Antoinette whether it's their quirky personalities like with da Vinci & Marie Antoinette, or their voice actor like Patrick Warburton as King Agamemnon. When it comes to the main or the historical characters, they're all likeable & funny, but the others are either pointless or just there for the movie to have that stock character needed for the plot!

 

Although it's not really the best Dreamworks animated film, it's probably likely it was intentionally made to be a small Hollywood time travel film. Mr Peabody & Sherman is a nice time travel adventure with some great humour, nice animation & quirky & fun side characters as well as Mr Peabody himself. I'd really recommend this for Rocky & Bullwinkle fans as they'll like the Easter Eggs throughout or if they want that nostalgic feeling of the original cartoon. It was clearly made more for them despite being good for newcomers & it is nice to watch if there isn't anything else on TV once it comes out on SkyMovies or On Demand. Honestly, it feels refreshing to see a good movie based on a cartoon after so many bad ones (which I shall eventually review some day!)
Story: 7/10
Animation: 8/10
Characters: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Modern Family: Disneyland

OK, I know what you're thinking: why the hell am I reviewing an episode of a live action TV show which has no relation to animation whatsoever? Well judging the title, it's set in Disneyland & I also happen to be a huge Disney fan (and I also love Modern Family)! Why else would I have done my Maleficent review? Anyway, this one is pretty different as I'm just going over the story & a bit on the characters. This episode also happens to be a part of what I call the 'Let's Go to Disneyland' episodes from ABC shows which were overused in the 90s & came back recently! So can the Dunphys & Pritchet's bring more joy to the happiest place on earth, or will they bring as much tension as a family at loggerheads? Let's find out!

 

Story: Considering the structure of the show, this is easily one to watch without really knowing what's going on besides who's related to who. The plot consists of the Dunphys & Pritchetts going to Disneyland in California where they all go on their little subplots, like Mitchell & Cam trying to stop Lily from running off by using a leash, Gloria walking in heels all day which makes her go crazy with Manny being too obsessed with his school project involving stocks to care about being at Disneyland, Phil & Luke going on rides despite the former feeling ill & worrying about getting old & Haley finding out her ex Dylan works at the park & has been in town despite not telling her while having a new beau. All of these plots do have connections & none of them feel that forced to their credit (unlike other Let's Go to Disneyland ABC episodes). And they are all also good for comedic opportunities, especially in the subplots with Cam & Mitchell and Dylan & Haley (especially during a scene with Dylan dressed up as Little John)! Not only that, but the episode also manages to be heartwarming by the end with Jay's story about the reason why they always go to the Great Moments With Mr, Lincoln attraction. I also liked the few slams they did about Disneyland, including the overpriced food & the very long waiting times to get on rides, but they're really more lighthearted than mean spirited. But what I probably love the most (other than what I've already mentioned) is that they don't shamelessly promote whatever was new at the park at the time, but rather paying tribute to some of the classic Disneyland attractions like the Dapper Dans, the aforementioned Great Moments With Mr Lincoln & having Dylan dress up as Little John from the underrated Robin Hood to see Haley! Overall, I love the story with well written & more plausible subplots, surprising depth & heartwarming moments, no shameless promotion & of course, a lot of laughs!

Characters: Since this is a Disneyland episode, it's interesting to see how the characters & their personalities adapt to the park. When it comes to the Dunphys, Claire is still the punctual perfectionist who's mostly with Haley in the episode, Phil is still the fun loving father despite being worried about getting old with his hyperactive son Luke, Haley is still the valley girl type teen & Alex is also the smart one who spends time with Ethan despite her sister's obvious jealousy. Manny oddly enough is obsessed with his school project involving stocks which causes him to neglect having fun at fricking Disneyland in this episode, which can make him a bit unlikeable, but he manages to realize the error of his ways when Gloria gives him a good talking to. Speaking of Gloria, she's probably the funniest character in this episode as she walks around in heels the whole time despite the fact it's painful for her & her reaction to the slippers Jay gives her is pretty funny. Jay is still the more cynical & snarky yet caring husband/dad/grandpa to everyone & I actually loved his bit at the end when talking about the reason why he takes Claire & Mitchell to Great Moments With Mr Lincoln. Cam is still his funny over-dramatic self being worried about Lily running off at Disneyland that objects to her being held by a leash. Mitchell on the other hand, while being the more serious one of him & his partner, still manages to also be funny while also worrying over Lily running off. As for the other characters, there's only really Dylan, Haley's cute yet rather clumsy & airheaded ex that is working at the park, who's just hilarious, especially when he's Little John & confronts Ethan. Speaking of Ethan, who only appears in this episode & happens to be played by Sarah Hyland's real life partner, that Haley has a crush on despite hitting it off with Alex, but still decides to pursue Haley anyway, but decides to stray away from the group after the confrontation with Dylan when he sees some of his friends. I thought he was OK, but the characters are still their same selves & that's how it should be for this episode!

 

I couldn't come up with a third section for this as there aren't any visuals to discuss other than it's Disneyland in California & it looks good & the quality is still the same as the show. Overall, I really enjoy this episode with a funny & plausible story compared to other Let's Go To Disneyland episode, and I love how the characters manage to adapt to the park & their funny personalities & quirks remain intact! This is a must watch for Modern Family fans as well as those who love Disneyland thanks to the fact that it pays tribute to the classics of the park rather than just shamelessly selling out it's most recent attraction. For this, I'm gonna give it a star rating instead of how I'd normally rate movies/specials/episodes as it's not animated & the number of sections is much more limited this time round.

Overall: **** 1/2