MovieMeditation�s Diary Reviews // �Come and meditate with me!�

Friendo.

11-15-16

MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
264 .......................... 308
__________________________

November 5th

�� 1992 ��
Aladdin
�� animation ��
DISNEY CLASSIC no.31

REWATCH
I have come a long way since my viewing of the very first
Disney Classic, from 1937, �Snow White�, earlier this year, 2015...

Finally, we arrive, all nicely dressed up in towel turbans and sultan shoes and with the (red) magical carpet rolled out and ready to take us away on an Arabic adventure into the world of spellbinding and surely seminal animation! More than fifty years of animated evolution and technical changes later, right in the middle of the "Disney Renaissance", we arrive in the sanded surroundings of Arabia� This period of animation really lives up to its name, as I saw some of the biggest changes with the first Renaissance film, �The Little Mermaid� � especially cinematically and considering the conversion into a proper consistent piece of animation...

With the setting of Arabia, �Aladdin� has a whole new world to introduce the audience to, but most of all the film just feels like home to be honest. Admittedly, Disney definitely drew a lot of inspiration from a few of their previous films, most notably an ending echoing �The Little Mermaid� and obviously the overall theme of having two people who fit together, but still can't be together, might be the most used storyline of all time at the Disney Studios. And a humorous side note; the film even calls for future films by Disney, like with the character design of Jafar being used again later to create the basic look for Scar, in �The Lion King� � and the two even rhyme too! Anyways, past, present or future �Aladdin� is a timeless tale in animation by Disney, which does feel fresh, fancy, free and funky in the midst of majestic material based on fairytales and Shakespearean novelties. �Aladdin� is not a drastically different Disney, but it is a more modern Disney, which had the (sand) dust blown away from it, making it look and feel all nice and shiny.

The film is beautiful to look at throughout, with clean crisp animation and swift gliding across characters and scenery; particularly the action scenes seem well handled and hand crafted to perfection. The overall story is interesting enough, though not overly original, but nevertheless it still manages to feel rather fresh and fast paced throughout to keep things entertaining. Obviously, Robin Williams as Genie is a joy to behold and I would love to be handed the complete and uncut audio tape of the entirety of Williams� recording sessions � but of course, what got in the movie is still great and it is fun to see the animators imitate Robin�s impressive improvised intellect and turn them into colossally imaginative and visually clever images. The songs are great too, especially the Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning song �A Whole New World�. Overall, I liked this one much better this time around, but the first half is the best and everything gets a little convoluted and chaotic towards the end of the movie. Nonetheless, a cool classic from Disney!

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MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews // Film Diary 2015 // Letterboxd Profile // MovieMeditation's Top 50 Horror

cricket

Registered User

11-15-16

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

I liked the remake when I saw it (that was before I saw the original). A lot of people seemed to like it.

But awesome you like this one too, cricket! You seen the sequel?

I've seen it once way back. I feel that I enjoyed it, but only seeing it once at that age and barely remembering it is not a good sign.

Optimus

"""" Hulk Smashhhh."""

11-16-16

Haven't seen Aladdin in years, but i do remember loving it as a child.

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Last edited by Optimus; 11-16-16 at 09:59 AM.

TheUsualSuspect

28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds

11-16-16

Aladdin is my favourite childhood Disney movie.

The wife loves Beauty and the Beast.

We only own Beauty and the Beast

__________________
"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-16-16

Originally Posted by TheUsualSuspect

Aladdin is my favourite childhood Disney movie.

The wife loves Beauty and the Beast.

We only own Beauty and the Beast

#Marriage

"Look! Aladdin is on sale today. Can we buy it?"

"No, honey, we need new towels and dishes..."

"Oh yes, I forgot, brown towels are the only color we are still missing and we need to throw last months dishes out anyways..."

Camo

Msg

BANNED

11-16-16

Aladdin is probably the most beloved Disney that i don't like much. Don't know what it is, didn't like it as a kid and don't really like it as an adult. Great review though

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-17-16

MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
265 .......................... 310
__________________________

November 7th

�� 1994 ��
______T H E______
LION KING
�� animation ��
DISNEY CLASSIC no.32

REWATCH
To many people, critics and fans alike,
this is Disney's greatest masterpiece...

The Disney Animation Studios has calmly and confidently climbed Pride Rock, in a way, which would make even Walt Disney himself proud, by reaching higher and greater than ever thought possible� This might not be my most beloved Disney film in terms of favorites, though it is indeed close, but it may be the most bold, broad, beautiful and objectively majestic masterpiece ever released by the studio. In terms of technical achievements, story elements, music and lyrics, visual appeal and expansive atmosphere, �The Lion King� might just be Disney�s rock solid crowning work. There are plenty of people who would agree that this is their greatest work yet, but despite of being a childhood favorite as well, somehow it still seems to live up to every little expectation, every single time, inside my ever-evolving cinema heart �beating even stronger, partly because of the professionally crafted feel of the movie, with a cast and crew delivering their very best � paired with a great and ambitious story just to amplify the already amazing achievements all around this film�

Disney did so many things with this release and went completely beast mode several places throughout, turning every pending challenge into just another prey to be hunted down � no matter the size or ultimate effort needed. Also, despite of having a memorable moral, which tells the audience not to go into the dark, uncertain, unsafe, and unprotected areas of our world, Disney themselves definitely went there and dominated it all like the animation dictator of the 90s they certainly were. There are a lot of things, which adds to the overall greatness of the film, and part of that greatness is due to the persistent patience and prolonged process of studying animals and spotting locations. All this payed off, in one of the greatest opening scenes of all time, animated or other, when the whole entire savanna slowly comes to life, set their designated course and come together at Pride Rock to celebrate their coming future king. The beautifully build structure of the scene is paired with absolutely breathtaking animated visuals, also accompanied by an epic musical intro piece inspired by African language and culture. Just hearing the iconic opening song and seeing the yellow-red sun slowly rise in the horizon, simply sends chills down my spine� And having the whole scene expand and elevate itself, quite literally, as the newborn is lifted far above the masses just as the scene peaks to greatness and the big title on black background tramps onto the screen like a wild animal, THE LION KING � now, that�s how you do an opening scene, ladies and gentlemen.

Every animated classic made in the Disney Renaissance era was based on previous and well-known material, with the lesser one being �Rescuers Down Under�, which was only based loosely on the novels by Margery Sharp and kind of fell short of the ambiguity of this animated era. �The Lion King� takes a giant ambitious leap, with a script that is inspired by biblical elements and influenced by �Hamlet�, written by world-famous English poet, William Shakespeare. Whether adapted, based or influenced by someone as great as Shakespeare, I personally think it was a brave and very interesting approach to take, which furthermore adds a lot to the feel and scope of the movie. The plot is not written without Disney�s well known directional �doppelganger models�, where the same themes, tropes and elements are intervened into the story as it goes along, but nevertheless, it still walks a proper path for an animated film, daring to be really dark at times and having some bite, but balancing it all out again with clever cut-away scenes, compositions or added comedic relief characters or sequences. All of this really shapes the Disney we know and love, but with a more mature angle to it, with added lightness throughout to make it easier for children to tolerate. Speaking as a bitter film critic, I could have used a little less Timon and Pumbaa, both in terms of plot and presence, but admittedly they are likeable and arguably Disney�s best comedic relief characters and collective duo created as of yet.

The story about Simba growing into a destiny that is already chosen for him � as well as all the expectations and dangers that come with being the son of a king � is a really solid fundament for a finely told and finely tuned film. As for the rest of the family, as well as other animals around said family, we really get some good tension and talk about jealousy, expectation, pressure, pride, greed and even politics � as well as the obvious dramatic duplicates of Disney, such as love and bravery and the likes� Simba goes through many phases throughout the movie, starting kind of startled or simply surprised and overwhelmed by the coming responsibility, though he quickly turns slightly obsessed and even arrogant about it. He becomes irresponsible because of his inner curiosity and tendency to explore and learn as the youngling he is. Simba�s father tries to teach him things the �easy way�, by training him to stand up for himself and telling him what to do, when to do it and when not to do anything at all. He respects his father, clearly, but he has much to learn, and that aspect of it he will learn the hard way.

Later, as we all know and hate every single time we watch this film, he loses his father to Scar�s jealously and greed, in one of the best scenes of the movie, only to be blamed for it all. Taking responsibility for his father�s death takes its toll on him and not until he meets Timon and Pumbaa does he snap out of it by meeting somebody who are optimistic and not the least care-free about the world � quite opposite his own heavy burden as a coming king. And in the jungle, suddenly he lives like a king, figuratively in this matter, out in the grand green jungle with no responsibility and his past in the past and future in the present � just enjoying life as it happens, no worries at all� Hakuna matata, you know. Unfortunately, things are all dug up again once Nala shows up to bring him back to Pride Rock and save the savanna from Scar�s dictatorship. But Simba has moved on and left that part of his life behind; partly because he thought that they had left him behind too, for the blame of Mufasa�s death. Rafiki, the wise and wacky monkey, makes him realize otherwise and Simba completes his character arc as a proud, responsible, changed lion, who are ready to stand up for his family and set things straight. But as we all know � and excuse the pun � Simba is about to walk right into the lion�s den�

So here is how it all goes down� the opening scene is epic and breathtaking, the following scenes are calm, character-based and dramatic, then there are some comedic scenes of careless fun combined with present danger, until the point of no return hits, where Simba is blamed for his father�s death and the movie takes a turn for the worst, only to be pulled up again by the brightest part of the movie, literally and figuratively, out in the wide and colorful jungle with Timon and Pumbaa � admittedly though, one of the best songs ever written and sung by Elton John, plays out right here, so there is definitely balance to it too. Then the movie climbs towards its climax, with Simba coming to a realization and running for the rescue of Pride Rock. Here, we get a grand climatic finale, which does have outburst of humor, but mostly goes a rather dark route, with Simba facing off against Scar in an impressive and imaginative cinematic battle of the century. This sequence is visually really well done, in my opinion, with the story elements elevating the already impressive scenario, by having Scar�s own personality, politics and future plans turn around on himself in the end.

And at last, all the epic extravaganza has ended, or so it seems, until we experience one of the most bad-ass sights in cinema history, as Simba walks up the Pride Rock, in slow-motion, and with the epic score by Hans Zimmer pouring out of the speakers, as Simba grands true meaning and purpose to Pride Rock, by name, and as a united home and rightful place for him as king, leader and living legend among all animals on the savanna�

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Swan

CIA Spook

11-17-16

THE CIRCLLLLLLLLLLLLE OF LIIIIIIIIIIIIIFE

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-18-16

Originally Posted by Swan

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Friendly Mushroom!

Mushy Giant Friend!

11-18-16

Originally Posted by benchy

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MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-20-16

So, what started mostly has a joke...

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

Originally Posted by Swan

What is this crap! I've never heard of that film!

I want a Visit review!

Maybe in early 2017 when I finally caught up with my viewings.

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

Anyways, I know I'm behind as hell, but I figured the reviews are what matters, not the date, so I just continued reviewing the movies chronologically and hopefully I'll be done before 2017... and then I'll finally start the reviews for 2016.

...has become a grim reality.

Obviously, the thing about starting on reviews for my 2016 watches are still merely a joke, but the fact that I'm (hopefully) gonna finish up my reviews for last year before the end of this year, seems like a cold hard truth.

BUT, the least I can do is actually accomplishing that goal. That said, I still have LOTS of movies to review, so we'll see how that goes... I got a whole lot of Disney reviews coming up, as well as write-ups for films like Spy, The Searchers, Ant-Man, Knock Knock, American Splendor, Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown as well as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and more. So look out for that!

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-21-16

MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
266 .......................... 313
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November 10th

�� 1995 ��
POCAHONTAS
�� animation ��
DISNEY CLASSIC no.33

REWATCH
So, this is the film that was supposed to follow up the success of The Lion King?
No wonder why this film was so poorly received upon release�

That said though, it is admittedly sad to see that this movie had to be prematurely covered up in such a colossal and conquering shadow of such masterpiece as �The Lion King�, but you can�t actually blame anyone for anticipating Disney to up the ante even further with their newest film, since they have basically been raising the bar for every �Renaissance� feature during this era, maybe with the exception of �The Rescuers Down Under�. But there is no doubt that Disney peaked with their Pride Rock epic, that is �The Lion King�, roaring their way to even greater success than ever before. But despite all this, can �Pocahontas� poke a hole in the great success and enormous expectations of what came before it, without imitating the movie or failing to leave its own impression along the way?

After viewing it again, out of context and comparisons, �Pocahontas� is not a bad film, but it is definitely a weaker Disney entry, which is still solid entertainment on its own, because even weaker Disney films are wonderful in their own way � at least until the downright dreadful later era films. Even despite the flaws, I enjoy the journey to a new world, especially because the animation is stunning and once again groundbreaking and ever so creative. The setting is perfect for this kind of beauty and the character of Pocahontas is done well � at least by Disney standards. Most of the other characters though, are flat and without thought of reason or rationality � except for what is artificially force-fed to them in shades of hollow clich�s and caricaturistic cultural shortcomings, which unfortunately also haunts the script. This is also more of a story with Pocahontas in it than a story about Pocahontas; meaning we don�t cover much true ground, and funnily enough aim for more spiritual highs as well, and while it works fine on its own, the source material merely feels like a dictionary rather than a direct adaption. Alas, that is Disney as we know them, but nevertheless Pocahontas deserved better in my personal opinion.

Thankfully, as a visual and aural spectacle, Disney draws something that definitely draws you in at times, with good music despite some weak songs that are a bit flat in their writing, with the exception of the excellent �Colors of the Wind�. In the hands of less talented people, this could have been a downright disaster. But even during weaker outings, Disney knows their animation, magic and marvelous though less impactful entertainment, which does bring evidence of greatness to the table without testing the strength of the table or flipping it over to try something entirely different. Overall, I did love the vibe and balance between human and forest, especially when Pocahontas was alone in the film. But because of a weak villain and empty idiotic characters, the parts with the English people weren't that enjoyable. I kept wanting to return to Pocahontas. But in the end of it all, I guess I don�t really want to keep returning to Pocahontas as a movie, but it is enjoyable enough on its own and I understand both the love and hate for this. So despite of receiving some headwind and colorful criticism on its way to the cinema, it honestly made it out better than we feared�

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MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-21-16

MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
267 .......................... 315
__________________________

November 12th

�� 1996 ��
THE
HUNCHBACK
OF
NOTRE DAME
�� animation ��
DISNEY CLASSIC no.34

I have a hunch y'all came back because you really wanted
to hear the ugly truth about this notable Disney film...

In my honest and humble opinion, �The Hunchback of Notre Dame� is another entry in the ever-popular Renaissance era that just didn�t deliver or do justice to their modern magnum opus, that is �The Lion King�. To me, it seemed like Disney had a hard time hitting as hard as they did with that film, failing to come back with something truly refreshing, magnificent and magical. Sadly, Disney's take on the deformed isn�t their return to form, but more of a formal retelling of the same fundamental strokes that isn�t as daring or different as it should be, nor does it separate itself from the norm as much as you would think....

The most obvious imperfection in the mirrored image of a familiar filmic feel, is how uneven and uncertain it all feels to me. I caught myself changing my thoughts about the movie so many times throughout� the opening was indeed grand but felt hollow and almost too blown out in visual and aural bonanza� like it was trying too hard. I admit though, that the ultimate presentation of Quasimodo himself worked well and was well-handled. After the overblown opening, it feels like the film searches for a tone to tack along with, but without ever attaching itself to any specific one. It stumbles along, trying to figure out whether this disfigured adventure wants to be dark or light, quiet or energetic, elaborate or just entertaining. I do realize that the two worlds should be portrayed per their differences and that Quasimodo�s world should feel distanced as well, from all that is ordinary. All this, kind of makes the movie more boring to me and I never feel connected to the story itself, only the characters, and even that is only a few of them, specially and almost solely Quasimodo and Esmeralda. It feels plain a lot of the times and there isn�t truly any charm to it. The Notre Dame itself is well done though, all the way from the bottom to the very top of the bell-towers and Quasimodo�s home. A lot of detail is present here and I like that.

When I talk about a shift in tone, I also sense a shift in quality, since some scenes seem amazing and call back memories to the magic from Disney�s very best classics, while other scenes come off less impressive and immediately feels rushed and not really followed through with � even the animation seems off and uneven in a few places, though it does bring groundbreaking visuals still. Furthermore, Disney seemed to struggle with how to tell a story that is very dark and disturbing within its source material, but making its way to the big screen as a blown-out ballad or compilation of copy-paste elements, that admittedly has its high-points, but pales in comparison to past Disney movies and Victor Hugo�s sinister source material. It doesn�t help much that a movie about �beauty and the beast� already came out only five years ago, which did everything much better. I mean, even the posters for the movies look familiar, hell, even the directors are the same! I do admire the bravery of the basic outline of this movie; it seems like there is potential hidden here, some brave themes of lust, racism and of course the beauty on the inside. That also remains one of the best things about the film � the actual outline and base for this movie, while the execution simply doesn't match it�

Quasimodo, while not as well-rounded as in the book, is not a quasi-caricature at all, he feels genuine, humble and kind-hearted. The main villain is an interesting one, in the way he is heavily connected to the hero and can manipulate and control him and create his perception of the world and the people within it. Unfortunately, he just doesn�t live up to that set-up. Esmeralda was by far my favorite character and I love how Disney departed from the usual stuff and made a female lead, who isn�t a princess, who isn�t white or wonderful, but a gipsy on the street fighting for food; she is a black woman, who is very strong and independent. Disney even adds the classic "Prince Charming" but twists his roots and makes him handsome, but very human, humble, grounded and kind. He even has an interesting conclusion to his character, which also departs from the usual Disney endings� yet kind of doesn't. What the movie really misses though, in my opinion, is an "Under the Sea", "A Whole New World" or "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". �Pocahontas� was no masterpiece either, but it did have "Colors of the Wind". This film has one or two semi-great songs, but none of them really reaches the same highs as previous outings.

Ultimately, �The Hunchback from Notre Dame� is fairly good entertainment, but it never lives up to its potential, themes or daring subjects. It misses personality, magic and charm, but the standout scenes keeps pulling it up from mediocracy and I mostly leave this slightly disappointed, while still thinking of it as an enjoyable fun run through familiar tropes. But in my opinion, we are honestly beginning to stumble below Disney standards at this point. It should be said though, that rewatches have saved semi-good movies more than once before, which was the case with �101 Dalmatians� for example � a movie I liked a lot more on a second watch. But for now, I have a very fractured feeling towards this film�

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Last edited by MovieMeditation; 11-21-16 at 08:38 PM.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-26-16

MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
268 .......................... 318
__________________________

November 15th

�� 2015 ��
SPY
�� comedy ��

Alright, I don't downright despise comedies like 'Spy',
but they often range from right above mediocre to rather terrible

Rarely do I ever outright adore an American comedy, but when the ****-loaded, foul-mouthed and mean-spirited style hits the jackpot it certainly can be comedy gold. Because comedies like �Superbad�, �Pineapple Express� and the �21� and �22 Jump Street� movies are all way above the mediocracy of many modern American comedy films. This particular style isn�t necessarily anything special, but the balance between imbecile humor and bad taste seems to be pretty much perfect and almost acts as a parody or at least a purposely dumb-smart successor to lowbrow humor...

Now, I come from a little country called Denmark, which is one of the most �free-to-say-what-the-f*ck-we-want� countries in Europe and unlike America we aren�t so sensitive with bad language in public and the tendency to bleep everything on live television. To Americans, the movie medium appears to be the most amazing excuse to finally say and do whatever the f*ck they want, which is something I think shows in their comedies. Bad language in and around itself seems to be the main source of joke material, and they don't merely mention it in their sentences, they basically build the entire dialogue around bad language and explicit sexual speaking. Sex is also something that is �whatever� here in Europe, and especially Denmark, so again this isn't a big deal to us. I don't want to boil American comedies down to bad language and explicit and extended sex jokes, but a lot of the movies are most certainly based around this thin basis � it works for me in some instances, but most of the time I'm not overly impressed by it, especially because there isn�t anything impressive or clever about busting a bad word. But in the hands of the right people, it can certainly have both purpose and meaning, like the �WTF� running joke in Edgar Wright�s British comedy, �The World�s End�. In general, British humor is a very fine example of finely tuned comedy that is elegantly executed and not annoyingly exaggerated with jokes that is written to perfection and not worn out to perpetuity.

In particular, I�m not a fan of the modern major directors of comedy, that of Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, who both tend to make overlong American comedies with a good dose of dragged out humor and with a huge celebrity cast to drag people in. What happened to just 90 minutes of solid, sharp and/or satirical comedy, which doesn't feel like a lenghty workprint full of deleted scenes and several improv-outtakes going on end? Why do so many American comedies always have to drag the joke further than the balls of an old man scraping the surface of the floor while summarizing a porno using sign language; further than a dick up your tight ass you little whiney piece of ****, further than uranus, which actually means your anus cause that's what you ****ing are if you get that reference you ridiculous limp dick mother****er little **** bitch! You got that or what, Mr. Wise Guy I-look-like-I-came-out-a-90-year-old-womans-vegina aka bug ass idiot, you know who I am? You God damn ******** ****** I **** your mother you little ugly bitch, I sure as hell hope you get my mother****ing point right about ****ing now because this is the end of the god damn line you little **** *** ****** ***** *******. Oh, man, how I wish those were the stars I actually awarded this movie with, because then it would be a God damn masterpiece.

Okay, so on top of that D-sized titty train of destruction, let us take a step back and look at things in a more mature and manageable manner. Actually, this can be said in the simplest kind of way; it just isn't funny to hear the same kind of joke, told in ten different ways, in what seems like at least five different takes, all of which could or should have been outtakes but somehow, someway, ended up in the actual movie anyways. All too often, it appears as if the director yelled "action", left all the cameras rolling, and went to get a coffee and bagel. And when he came back, he would then yell "cut" and move on to the next scene, telling the actors to do the same all over again and continue to act out of thin air until he yelled "cut" again when the cast clearly didn't have any more synonyms for the word "f*ckface" to go on. Obviously, improv-comedy can be really great when it works, especially when the director allows his actors to use it. But where it can go wrong though, is when the director suddenly demands it or when a script survives on it. A scene can turn truly funny if an actor catches the moment and comes up with something that is not memorized. But building an entire movie on the concept simply doesn't cut it, at least not without cutting the movie to a mangle first.

'Spy' did have a few home runs in the humor department and I definitely did laugh a couple of times, but a few laughs doesn�t last long for a lengthy movie running for more than two hours and relying on dragged out jokes, usually titty humor and with a potty mouth to go with it. A lot of it feels lazy, uninspired and ultimately a monotonic mess to sit through - even for the supposedly satirical angle on the spy genre... The rating I will give this does reflect that I didn�t downright hate it, but I think I have just come to be annoyed by this formula, kind of like with Marvel�s superhero standards. I have seen worse from American comedies, but this is starting to feel like one American comedy too much every time I end up watching one of these. I thought the trailer looked pretty good, which is the case with quite a few of Paul Feig�s films, as well as American comedies in general, but I always end up disliking them.

As for the cast, I think Jason Statham was misused though not necessarily miscast. I think he can work well as the straight face in a funny situation, where �Crank� is definitely one that comes to mind, but with �Spy� he just felt like a flat character playing an inflated version of himself. I don�t even hate Melissa McCarthy, I honestly see potential in her as a comedy actress, but without the right material, she can get really annoying. I think she worked best in �Bridesmaids�, as a side character presented in small doses. Anyways, �Spy� had some fun action, a few good moments, but mostly it definitely isn�t for me. I will take a British comedy over this stuff any day�

__________________________

CiCi

Msg

Survivor 5s #2 Bitch

11-26-16

Med, we've had some horrific comedies, though! You just have to know where to look

I haven't seen this yet actually, but you confirmed what I feared about it, so I probably won't. It's a shame as well, because Miranda Hart was in this and she's bloody hilarious

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-26-16

Originally Posted by CiCi

Med, we've had some horrific comedies, though! You just have to know where to look

I haven't seen this yet actually, but you confirmed what I feared about it, so I probably won't. It's a shame as well, because Miranda Hart was in this and she's bloody hilarious

It depends. If you like stuff like Bridesmaids, The Heat, Trainwreck etc. you'll like this too. Are you not a fan of American comedies though, you may not click with this either.

And yeah, I'm aware y'all had some bad ones too, but without mentioning particular films, the overall humor is just up my alley.

CiCi

Msg

Survivor 5s #2 Bitch

11-26-16

I loved Bridesmaids, but I didn't really like The Heat o.O and typically, I'm not a fan of American comedies so I'm going to brave this one out and skip it... Unless it's on TV or something

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

11-26-16

MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
269 .......................... 319
__________________________

November 16th

�� 1997 ��
HERCULES
�� animation ��
DISNEY CLASSIC no.35

REWATCH
Despite the ancient familiarities, this film seems to represent a strong change in Disney,
breaking the chains of traditions and tales of formality�

'Hercules' is here and is the newest addition to the animated assembly that is the Disney Classics. This is a strong comeback, in a film where the studio kind of resurrects more than merely returning to form. This is a snappy turn-around for the animation studio, delivering the kind of dangerous entertainment and emotional involvement that we know they can, but while coming off as more free and alive than ever before. Disney truly believes they can go the distance without falling victim to their own superiority and thankfully this shows in their modernized pop culture clash of titan-like qualities, with Greek mythology and modern music philosophy as the fundamental forces�

the conventional classic musical formula has been replaced by some fast-paced gospel-like songs, as well as some pop-influenced stand-alone solo numbers. All this can easily throw you off if you expect the expectable, but despite not being sure how to feel about mixing forced narration into fancy songs and having the black mama gospel group often appear out of nowhere, it works fine and sometimes even great. I definitely don't mind the turn towards more mainstream pop music, since they skillfully combine the classic sound with new tones and great songs like 'Go the Distance', which I love even for its cheesiness, and my favorite from the film, 'I Won't Say I'm in Love', which are both great songs and I accept this change in tone with open arms. But of course, this new sound is not completely new after all, but this movie seems to make it a rock solid statement towards the future of Disney films.

The animation is fun and playful, where I especially admire the "curly designs" they went with, which is daring and different though not perfect. The characters are typically underdeveloped, but all are very likeable and I'm surprised at how memorable they all were in the end. Meg is the ultimate femme fatale from Disney and the most independently strong and "macho" women Disney has ever made, if you know what I mean� also, she is sexy as hell and her mysterious dark voice, done by the wonderful Susan Egan, makes me weaker than Hercules when he loses his powers to Hades. And talking about Hades, oh my (under)God it looks like James Woods pulled a "Robin Williams" and completely changed the previously envisioned character made by Disney. He was supposed to be slow and menacing, but Woods completely makes the character his own by giving him extreme anger management issues, which is nicely visualized through fire and colors. Furthermore, he adds a great sense of humor and screen presence to the character. Alas, some say that Disney supposedly "ruined" Hades and the Greek mythology with this movie, but I say how about you take a quick look back in their back-catalogue? Disney are very rarely true to the source, but they let them inspire by it and rework them into their own and I think 'Hercules' turned out just fine.

Everything in this movie is fun, fancy and free, though I don't know how I feel about the heavy use of CGI on the dragon monster, but I'm glad they didn't stick with the style throughout the film, which was thankfully mostly traditional 2D animation � also for the other monsters. Oh, and by the way, am I the only one creeped the hell out every time they "cut the life line" of a human being? The symbolism is so obvious and direct that I can't help but feel the cut like it was my own heartstring. All I can say is that is great filmmaking, since the storytelling through images and visual presentations create a picture in my head strong enough to feel. And talking about death and cutting life lines, I really dug the ending! I don't refer to the bloated monster battles, but the actual ending with Hercules on an emotional breaking point. That was so good in my opinion! I'm also glad I liked this movie this time this time around, since my last visit to Great Greece � the first since childhood � unfortunately didn�t hold up. Thank God I found the love for it again...

+

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MovieMeditation

Friendo.

02-13-17

I thank you all for voting me to #12 on the 4th Annual MoFo Countdown, but I gotta admit to myself... dropping six places, is a sign of my activity and commitment to this place dropping as well and I can't accept that. It's time to get back into business and show MoFo Land that I'm still here in grand style...

First step will be to RESURRECT THIS DIARY THREAD and finally get my long, long, long overdue diary to the finish line...

LOOK OUT FOR MAJOR UPDATES COMING VERY SOON...

- On top of that, I'm gonna get back in HoFs, games and whatnot and you will not see me coming as hard as this. Look out cricket, I'm gonna take your top spot next year!!!

MovieMeditation