Soldier (who’s been turned into a cow)

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

Chick 1 says:

It’s taken me a month to get the theater to check out  the first of two  movies Mr. Spielberg has out right now. Despite the credits reading like a who’s who of my favorite storytellers (Peter Jackson, Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright), I was only somewhat interested in the story but very interested in the animation. 

The Basics: Based on a Belgian comic book series popular during the 1930’s, the story follows the  many adventures of its title character, Tintin (that’s pretty much what it says) an intrepid young reporter. 

What I Liked:  The animation did not disappoint.  The very first frame looked so photo-real that for a split second, I thought maybe there was short before the feature.  CG animation has come a long way in the last decade or so.  I remember being fascinated by Sully’s fur in Monsters Inc.  But getting skin tone and texture has still been lagging and human characters often seem dead-eyed.  Well, not anymore.  Despite these characters looking like the cartoons they were based on, they are amazingly real; Tintin and Captain Haddock especially.  Tintin, played by Jamie Bell,  is a really amazing performance.  Some of his movements and emotions are so subtle; it’s really astounding.  And Captain Haddock, played by King of All Motion Capture Andy Serkis, completely reminds me of Tommy Lee Jones. 

It’s easy to see how this story captured Spielberg’s love of 30s and 40s serials.  It has the same sort of innocent adventurous feel as Raiders of the Lost Ark.  And it’s great to see what Spielberg does with a camera when there are no physical obstacles.  Some of the shots during the action sequences are dizzying!

What I Didn’t Like:  You can tell that the filmmakers were trying to capture the spirit of a 1930’s comic while trying to update some aspects, but not everything translates to the modern world.  The bumbling twin-like detectives, played by Brilliant Comic Bromancers Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, just come across as silly.  And there are more than a few extremely convenient plot contrivances.  Several times I found myself thinking, “Really, it’s that easy?”

Bottom Line:  Not completely up to standards for the filmmaking gods behind it but still very much worth a trip to the theater (and worth the 3D glasses - I don’t often say that).  Give your child-like spirit a night at the movies!

I will spare you a rundown of the winners. You can find that here. 

But here are some (very) brief thoughts on tonight’s show:

Best Presenters/Most Adorable Couple: William H Macy and Felicity Huffman who sang their way through Best Actress in a TV Series - you can see and hear them here

Best Photobomb: (This was a very competitive category.) Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

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-Honorable Mention: Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet

Best Dressed: (giving it to a young ‘un this year) Shailene Woodley

Here’s to another great year of movies!  Happy viewing!

Update

I almost forgot!  Hottest Grandma: (another tough category)74-year-old Jane Fonda

-Honorable Mention: 66-year-old Helen Mirren

This freaky but romantic movie is from Argentinian filmaker Juan Diego Solanas.  It doesn’t even have a U.S. distributer but looks fantastic.  Stars  Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst (who’s had an upside down kiss before).

Theoden (Bernard Hill)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood)

Star Trek (2009)

Please excuse me while I faint from sheer ecstasy.

Chick 1 says:

I really didn’t know what to expect from this adaptation of a children’s book by Martin Scorsese.  It looked beautiful and it was, after all, Scorsese.  It had the fantasy appeal I love.  But the first ads didn’t capture me.  It looked void of real heart.  But after some good reviews, I decided to give it a try.  And boy was I wrong.

The Basics: Hugo is a boy living in a Paris train station in the 1930s and keeping the clocks on time.  When a notebook that is precious to him is stolen, he enlists a young girl to help him.

What I Liked: This is a beautiful sweet movie.  I was completely attached to the little boy from the very beginning and didn’t want anything to hurt him.  Asa Butterfield, who plays Hugo, was fantastic.  He has huge blue eyes and uses them well. At the end he even looks like a young Elijah Wood.  In one scene, he portrayed more despair than I ever want to see on someone so young.  He broke my heart.  Chloe Grace Moretz, who plays his young friend Isabelle, gives her usual fabulous performance.  Even at 12-years old, Moretz has been giving characters more depth than many adult actors.  I loved her character too; kind of a modern day Anne Shirley.  The rest of the cast is impressive as well; I mean, would Scorsese really have any problem getting the best? Effects are lovely and I loved the use of the use of the gears from the clockworks. 

But the themes are what make this movie special.  Hugo looks at how important it is to have a purpose in life and what happens to people when they don’t.  Tying in with this is the magic of storytelling and how stories, even fantastical ones, affect our real lives.  The movie is basically a love letter from Scorsese to his own purpose in life and an enchanting love letter it is.

What I Didn’t Like: The story moves at a relaxed pace so at times it’s a little slow but by the end when I was crying and freaking out about what was going to happen to Hugo, that really wasn’t a problem.

Bottom Line: A love letter to storytelling that is worth reading!

Chick 1 says:

The Muppets are back and I’m happy to say, they are still the Muppets.

The Basics: Does it really matter?  They’re the Muppets.  Let the shenanigans begin!

OK, maybe the basics do matter.  The writers (star Jason Segel and frequent collaborator Nick Stoller) wisely chose to keep the original spirit of the Muppets by creating a world (our world in fact) where cynicism has left the Muppets behind.  They’ve broken up  and Kermit now lives alone in a run down mansion in Hollywood.  Naturally, events unfold that force the gang to get back together (by Montage!).

What I Liked: From the opening number, it’s obvious that Segel is living out a childhood fantasy and his enthusiasm makes up for his OK performance.  Amy Adams, on the other hand, is completely in her element.  She’s practically a Muppet herself!  (I mean that as a  complement.)  Kermit is still Kermit, wise, revered, and a bit of a pushover.   The cameos are a hoot!  Is anything cooler than being a walk-on in a Muppet movie? 

What I really liked is how the Muppet brand of humor, though sweeter than we’re used to today, still has elements that are very current.  In fact, the Muppets were meta before meta was a thing!

Also, I’m a little concerned by how much I loved Piggy’s wardrobe and hair.

What I Didn’t Like: There were a few moments when the pace sagged.  Most of the song and dance numbers were the perfect length to keep things flowing but a couple needed to be clipped a bit.  But the main thing I didn’t like was… Not enought Neil Patrick Harris!  Honestly, he was in it about as much as the other celebrities but NPH standing next to a  Muppet is just funny!  More please.

Bottom Line:  Leave your cynicism at home.  Your cheeks will hurt from smiling.

Public TV News Anchor (Tim Robbins)

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (2004)