The Secret Life of Pets

Year: 2016

Directors: Yarrow Cheney & Chris Renaud 

Starring: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Kevin Hart, Lake Bell, Albert Brooks, and Dana Carvey
Tagline: Ever wonder what your pets do when you're not home?
Synopsis: Max is Katie's dog.  But his life is turned upside down when Katie brings home Duke, a shelter dog.

Review

Before the feature film was the short "Mower Minions."  Basically, a group of Minions decide they need a blender, which means they need money.  They proceed to offer lawn care to a retirement home.  Minion mayhem ensues.  It was amusing.  I chuckled a few times.  I rolled my eyes a few more times.

The simplest way to explain The Secret Life of Pets is, it's like cotton candy.  It's colorful.  It's sweet.  It's nice enough while it lasts.  But in the end, there's no real substance and there's absolutely no nutritional value.  Cotton candy isn't bad from time to time.  But it's not very satisfying.

Is the film fun?  Yeah, it's fairly fun.  There are some clever visual gags (such as watching Buddy the Dachshund get around) and humorous bits of dialogue.  There are definitely some humorous moments.  And the initial premise is clever.  But the secret life of these pets too soon turns into a typical fish-out-of-water scenario on the dogs' side and a rescue mission on the other animals' side.  The comparisons to Toy Story are well-founded.

My favorite character was Tiberius the hawk who shows enormous self-restraint in not preying on the other animals.  (Tiberius is voiced by Albert Brooks, who also voices Marlin in Finding Nemo/Dory.  This is sort of a role reversal where he is now the equivalent of Bruce the shark.)  Chloe the cat is also amusing, and every bit what you'd expect from a cat in the YouTube age.

Despite being a dog person myself, I found the two main dogs (Max and Duke) rather unlikable.  They are both verging on annoying and I could never emotionally invest in either of them, which meant I didn't really invest in their journey.  The motley rescue team is much funnier and more likable.

And then there is the villain: the psychotic bunny with his army of "flushed" pets.  It's not that I couldn't take the threats of a bunny serious, it was that he was so serious.  He was played for humor, but his motivations and intents are pretty dark.  And as the story progresses, he becomes a rather schizoid villain.  I found him annoying and overly dramatic.

When it isn't worrying too much about its shoehorned plot, the film offers an amusing representation of how we as humans perceive our pets and the personalities they have.  The cat is the prototypical cat.  The dogs do what we imagine dogs do.  The parakeet has awesome delusions of fighter jet grandeur.  It's amusing for what it is.  But it stumbles when it tries to stretch itself into a feature length plot.

If you're a pet person, you'll probably find quite a bit to enjoy in The Secret Life of Pets, especially the first 10 minutes or so.  It's a likable movie worth a viewing.  But in a year or two, I for one will have forgotten this movie existed.  As a movie about pets, perhaps it is fitting that it is mostly just fluff.

Quotable Quotes

• "I'm a cat."  "Well, nobody's perfect." -- Chloe and Pops [This is a reference to the classic comedy Some Like It Hot.]
• "Who said that?"  "Over here ... in the dark and foreboding shed." -- Gidgit and Tiberius
• "Max, as your friend, I don't care about you or your problems." -- Chloe (a cat)

ISFS

Finding Dory

Year: 2016

Director: Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane

Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Hayden Rolence, and Ty Burrell
Tagline: An unforgettable journey she probably won't remember
Synopsis: Dory -- with Marlin and Nemo in tow -- embarks on a journey to find her family.

Review

First up, as with all Pixar films, there is a preceding short.  This one is called Piper, and it is about an adorable young sandpiper (the spindly legged birds that run away from the incoming waves) learning to forage for her own food.  The short is gorgeous.  Seriously, it's amazing how good computer animation has gotten.  Piper is also a beautiful, charming little story.  I'd just about pay $7 just to see this short film.

On to our feature presentation.

Finding Dory is not Finding Nemo.  Accept that first and you'll be able to appreciate what Finding Dory is: a funny, heartwarming tale featuring beloved old and quickly endearing new characters.

Of the new characters, Hank the septopus (he's an octopus who lost a tentacle) is my favorite.  His grumpy, loner attitude makes him the perfect foil for Dory, who is as optimistic and sociable as ever.  Plus he is so much fun to watch as he glides around, camouflaging himself as needed.  Destiny, the near-sighted whale shark and Bailey the beluga with echolocation problems are also fun additions.  Ditto for sea lions Fluke, Rudder, and Gerald as well as the loony loon Becky.

In Finding Nemo, Dory's short-term memory loss is primarily played for humor, including the throwaway line: "It runs in my family.... Hmm, where are they?... Can I help you?"  This time around, the story focuses on the loneliness inherent in such an affliction.  Watching Dory try to remember things and catching glimpses of baby Dory becomes much of the heart of the film.  It doesn't have quite the same emotional pull that accompanied Marlin trying to rescue Nemo.  But it is compelling nonetheless.  And Dory is such an inherently good and kind character, you can't help but root for her.

Although the story is mostly about Dory trying to find her family, she isn't the only one with a journey.  Both Marlin and Hank also have emotional journeys that they go through as they realize the impact for good Dory has had on them.

As heartwarming as Finding Dory is, it is also funny.  Very, very funny, with an over-the-top climax that still has me chuckling.  Plus, like all Pixar films, the animation is incredible and the soundtrack is beautiful.

If you haven't already, find time to go see Finding Dory.  It's a funny, heartwarming film that is not to be missed.  It is a worthy sequel.  Oh, and be sure to stay through the credits for one of my all-time favorite post-credits scenes.

*** Spoiler Section ***

One of the touching moments in the film is as Dory is apologizing to her parents for getting lost in the first place.  It's sad because she's apologizing for something that in many ways is outside her control.  It's not her fault she has memory loss.  It wasn't her fault she couldn't remember for so long how to find her way home.  I liked all the ways her parents, and even Marlin, found to help her with her affliction.

Quotable Quotes

• "Follow me!"  "You're in a cup."  "Oh.  Right.  I'll follow you." -- Dory and Hank
• "She should just pick two and let's go."  "Daaad."  "What?  I'm kidding."  -- Marlin and Nemo
• "Sigourney Weaver says ..." -- Fluke
• "I get the feeling their shushing us for a reason."  "Like something with one big eye, tentacles, and a snappy thing?"  "Well, that's very specific, but something like that." -- Marlin and Dory

ISFS

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Year: 2016

Director: James Bobin

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Anne Hathaway
Tagline: This spring, it's time for a little madness
Synopsis: Alice returns to Underland and travels through time in order to save the Mad Hatter.

Review

Meh.  That pretty much sums up how I feel about Alice Through the Looking Glass.  It's not terrible.  I didn't hate it.  I've seen far worse movies.  It was mildly diverting, but in a year's time I'll have forgotten all about it.

The visuals are impressive and the world of Underland is certainly richly imagined.  The music is also good.  But visual splendor and a nice accompaniment do not a good film make.  There's really no justification for this film's existence.  The story is contrived and strung together and has absolutely nothing to do with Lewis Carroll's novel of the same name.

The film opens interestingly enough, with the end of Alice's voyage around the world as she returns to London.  It's dramatic and shows off Alice's character and strengths.  Alice does remain a strong and likable character throughout the film, but apparently not much goes on in Underland unless she is around.  The other characters are literally just sitting around a table waiting for her to show up, which she does at Absalom's request (he's the blue caterpillar turned butterfly voiced by the late Alan Rickman).

From there we learn that the Hatter has lost his "muchness" and the only way to save him is to go back in time and save his family.  What could possibly go wrong with trying to change the past?  As it turns out, time is personified as Time, played by Sacha Baron Cohen.  Time pretty much steals every scene he is in and is the most interesting character in the film.  He has a number of good lines and quite a few puns at his expense (e.g., the March Hare sits next to him and quips, "Time is on my side").

As Alice travels through the sea of time, we find out more about the Hatter and his daddy issues and more about the Red Queen and the White Queen and their sister issues.  It was hard to get particularly invested in either storyline.  As for the rest of the characters, they are basically just there, for little or no reason other than this is Underland and those are the characters that inhabit it.  If we could have had a film with just Alice and Time, it would have been much more interesting and entertaining.

All told, Alice Through the Looking Glass isn't a terrible movie.  It was good for a few chuckles.  But it's unnecessary, unsubstantial, and ultimately forgettable.  If you are still feeling "curiouser and curiouser," wait until it is available through Redbox or Netflix.

*** Spoiler Section ***

When we meet young Mirana (the White Queen), she's a perfectly normal young girl.  Her mother is perfectly normal.  So where did the flitty flighty wavy arm gliding stuff come from?  Is that part of her queenly persona?  I don't get it. 

Quotable Quotes

• "When did you say Alice was coming?"  "I didn't say she was coming.  I said I'd invited her."  "... Well played, Hatter." -- Time and the Mad Hatter
• "Blasted me-shaped corridors!" -- Time
• "You're late."  "No, I'm right on ... time." -- Dormouse and the Cheshire Cat who is floating atop Time's shoulder
• "I'm sorry to have wasted your you." -- Alice to Time
• "You can only do the impossible when you believe it is possible." -- Alice
• "You cannot change the past.  But you might do well to learn from it." -- Time to Alice

ISFS

Captain America: Civil War

Year: 2016

Director: Anthony and Joe Russo

Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, and Daniel Bruhl
Tagline: Divided We Fall
Synopsis: The prospect of government oversight and the machinations of a mysterious villain threaten to tear the Avengers apart from within.

Review

At this point, it is easy to think "Great, another superhero movie."  And I'll admit, a little bit of superhero ennui has set in.  But every time I think I'm ready to be done, Marvel hits it out of the park again.  Put briefly, Captain America: Civil War is one of the best Marvel movies yet.

Does it bring anything particularly new to the table?  Well, no.  Not really.  Although it does introduce a few new characters to the universe.  But what Civil War does it does just right.  It has all the epic set pieces and big battles.  The visuals are top notch.  The music is great.  And the humor is well-timed.  But what drives Civil War is that it remembers these characters are people and devotes enough time to each of them to keep us caring about them.  And that's no small feat, given how many superheroes are involved this go round.

As buildup to the film, there's been a lot of ads asking whose side you're on.  Well, I'm 100% Team Captain America.  And by the time the film was over, I was getting rather tired of Tony and his arrogant attitude where he always knows what's best for everyone else.  He seems thoroughly convinced that what works and is needed for him must be what works and is needed for everyone else.  That attitude caused havoc in Age of Ultron and it causes more havoc in Civil War.  I will say this though, I love when Tony refers to Bucky as "Manchurian Candidate."  And I hope that there is more to Tony's character arc in future installations.

While I disagree with Tony's reasoning, it is well-established and believable.  The filmmakers do a great job of setting up all the important characters' motivations for which side they choose.  Even though it is heart-wrenching to see them go at each other, it makes sense why they are fighting.

And hidden in the midst of all of it, you've got the brilliant villain Zemo manipulating events.  He's not the best villain ever, but he's different, he's clever, and he's subtle, which is just what we needed.

I really liked the introductions of Black Panther and Spider-Man.  A young Aunt May is weird.  And Martin Freeman's Everett Ross seemed somewhat pointless.  Presumably they needed an opportunity to bring him into the universe so that he could eventually do ... something.

As for the thematic conflict of the film -- whether the Avengers should answer to a government body -- I side with Captain America.  To me, Civil War is the most relevant of the superhero movies, as the role of government is debated with every news break these days.  My friend summed it up well (and I can do no better): "the government trying to control superhero actions is a prime example of legal hubris in the face of complete government incompetence for the task.  Red tape/bureaucracy and emergency super-human responses to global catastrophes don't go well together."  Yup.

One of my favorite lines in the film comes from Sharon Carter, quoting her aunt, Peggy Carter: "Compromise where you can.  Where you can't, don't.  Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right.  Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say 'No.  YOU move.'"  It's a perfect statement for the movie and a perfect statement for the real world we live in.  In the comics, the sentiment is voiced by Captain America himself.  Go Team Cap!

If you haven't already, go see Captain America: Civil War.  As superhero movies go, it's one of the best.  It's smart, it's funny, and it's character driven.  Be sure to stay through the credits for a couple of bonus scenes.

*** Spoiler Section ***

Knowing what happens in the comic books, I was worried Steve Rogers wasn't going to survive this film.  I'm very glad he did.  And he survived it with his moral compass and integrity still in tact, which is even better.

Considering how deep the rifts went, I thought they did an excellent job wrapping things up at the end.  I liked Black Panther's closure and Bucky finding some measure of peace.  But I wish Natasha had been there with Steve to show that she is taken care of.  She and Steve have a close, platonic bond and I wanted closure that they were back side by side.

The absences of Thor and Hulk/Banner are noted.  And after the end of Age of Ultron it is unsurprising that both of them are gone.  Nick Fury's absence on the other hand is perplexing.  He's the kind of guy who would be full of opinions on something as sweepingly dramatic as the Sokovia Accords.  With all those big names already in the cast, I can understand not wanting to pay extra for Samuel L. Jackson.  But they could have at least mentioned Fury and acknowledged him.  The dude was instrumental in forming the Avengers.  Why wouldn't he have a vested interest in their continuation?

One final thing that confused me was from Steve's letter to Tony at the end.  Steve says that the Avengers belong to Tony and he (Steve) is used to being on his own.  But according to my tally, most of the Avengers end up either on or sympathetic to Team Cap.  Black Widow ultimately sided with Steve.  Black Panther has granted Steve and Bucky asylum.  And when they are back in the mix, you know Bruce Banner isn't going to want government interference in his life.  Nor can I imagine Thor allowing some Earth-bound government to dictate to him.  Even Spider-Man (though certainly allied with Tony) shows early signs of having the same moral compass as Steve.  If someone is in danger, it didn't sound like Peter Parker would be interested in waiting for the "all clear" to go help them.

Quotable Quotes

• "I don't mean to make things difficult."  "I know.  You're a very polite person."  -- Steve Rogers and Tony Stark
• "Can you move your seat up."  "No." -- Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson
• "Who's speaking?"  "It's your conscience.  We don't talk a lot these days." -- Iron Man and Ant-Man  [I sure hope this was meant to be a direct reference to Finding Nemo.]
• "I don't know if you've ever been in a fight before, but there's not usually this much talking." -- Falcon to Spider-Man

ISFS

The Jungle Book

Year: 2016

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Neel Sethi, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, and Christopher Walken
Tagline: The legend will never be the same.
Synopsis: Man-cub Mowgli has a variety of jungle adventures as he tries to get away from the tiger Shere Khan.

Review

Disney's classic animated take on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book has never been one of my favorites.  I liked certain aspects of it.  Overall, though, it was sort of "meh" to me.  (I actually preferred the characters in their reincarnated versions in the TV series Tail Spin.)  So when I heard that Disney was remaking their animated classic as a live action film, I wasn't particularly excited, even though I figured I'd end up seeing it.

Long story short: this live action The Jungle Book is terrific!  Absolutely terrific.

First off, The Jungle Book is visually stunning.  The jungle is immersive and the animals look almost real, even when they are speaking.  It's incredible just how true-to-life they are.  The film already seems like the Oscar contender for best visual effects.  Toward the end of the credits it is almost jarring to see "Filmed in downtown Los Angeles."

As appealing as the film is to the eyes, I also found it appealing to the ears.  The musical score blends new material with familiar themes from the animated version.  It works well.  This version is not a musical, but as Baloo and Mowgli bond, the two of them do break out into "The Bare Necessities."  But they do so in such a way that it is simply two buddies singing a song as they float down the river.  It's not a lavish musical production with swingin' and dancin'.  And while it is a little jarring when King Louie goes from speaking to singing "I Wanna Be Like You," it doesn't detract from the story.  To then hear that jazzy tune morph into something more threatening during the subsequent chase scene helps make it work.

The Jungle Book is more than just eye and ear candy; it's also an enjoyable story.  It's a straightforward story.  There's nothing too elaborate to keep track of.  But it is a well-told story.  It has an almost chapter-like feel as Mowgli goes from one adventure to the next.  But the story does so with a nice, progressive flow.

I'm sometimes leery of all-star voice casts.  Just because someone is a big name and a box office draw doesn't always mean they are right for an animated or CGI character.  Jungle Book certainly has an all-star cast, but it works.  Like the story, the characters are relatively simple and straightforward, but the voice actors bring depth and personality to them.

Much of the credit, though, goes to newcomer Neel Sethi.  He's basically the only human in the film.  That means he spent the entire filming process acting with and reacting to either people pretending to be animals or puppets (according to IMDb, Jim Henson's Creature Shop built puppets to use for filming).  And he does a great job of it.  I realized one of the things I don't like about the animated version is Mowgli.  He's rather whiny and bratty in that film.  In this adaptation he is neither.  Yes, he's still a boy who doesn't always have the best attitude.  But he's clearly a smart, brave, and good-hearted kid.  I liked Mowgli throughout this version, but especially during the second elephant scene.

Throughout the film, there are nods to not only the animated film, but to various Disney films.  There are a few moments that seem to take a page out of Tarzan's playbook, such as how Mowgli navigates the tree branches and his use of "tricks" (i.e., tools).  There's also a stampede through a ravine reminiscent of The Lion King (but without the tragedy, don't worry).  There's also a more specialized nod.  Just before King Louie makes his appearance, Mowgli is admiring a cowbell.  Christopher Walken (who voices King Louie) is famous for a Saturday Night Live sketch requesting "more cowbell."  My favorite "Easter egg" though is the book at the end.  The animated version opens with the then-standard fancy live-action book.  For this film, they searched the archives and found the book that was used for the animated film and reused it at the close of this film.  Quite fitting.

The film is rated PG and it might be a little intense for the littlest little ones.  Both Kaa and King Louie are menacing rather than comical.  And Shere Khan ... well, he's one dangerous tiger who is not to be crossed.  This is the jungle; there's life-and-death peril.  Other than that, the movie is entirely clean.

Do yourself a favor and go see The Jungle Book.  Your eyes will thank you.  Your ears will thank you.  Your grin will thank you.  Once again, Disney is king of the jungle.  I believe Rudyard Kipling would be proud.  Oh, and be sure to stay for the credits.  Pixar animated the credits and they are quite fun to watch.  Plus you'll get to hear a retro-inspired recording of Scarlett Johansson singing "Trust in Me."

*** Spoiler Section ***

At the end of the film, I was waiting for Mowgli to go back to the man village.  When he didn't, I was momentarily perplexed.  Then I remembered Disney has already announced a Jungle Book 2.  Kipling did write more tales of Mowgli's adventures than are represented here.

Quotable Quotes

• "I know you weren't born a wolf.  But will you at least try to act like one?" -- Bagheera to Mowgli
• "You've never been more endangered than you are now." -- Baloo to the pangolin
• "Trussst in meee." -- Kaa to Mowgli
• "I know he's special.  I raised him." -- Bagheera to Baloo regarding Mowgli

ISFS

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Year: 2016

Director: Zack Snyder

Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne distrusts Superman's unchecked power.  Clark Kent disapproves of the Batman's vigilante ways.  The two inevitably clash as the world at large discusses what sort of hero it really needs.

Review

I've been leery of this film since the day the title was announced.  I wanted it to be good.  I wanted to like it.  I grew up with Batman and Superman.  They (and audiences) deserve better than the bloated mess that is Batman v. Superman.

Perhaps the worst part of the film is that there are nuggets of potential.  I didn't completely hate the film.  There are parts that work.  There are things I liked.  But they are strung together by a poor story, grim storytelling, and a muddy vision of what makes Batman and Superman such enduring characters.

With what he had to work with, I thought Ben Affleck did a good job as Batman/Bruce Wayne.  He brings a tortured, jaded maturity to the role.  The setup he is given for his beef with Superman is believable and even understandable.  It's hinted that there have been dark goings on in Gotham that have left him even more emotionally scarred, beyond witnessing his parents' deaths (one scene that was actually handled well).  What we didn't see was the Bruce Wayne persona.  That would have been good.

What I dislike is that this Batman, by the end, is using guns and killing the bad guys "as necessary."  I prefer the Batman from the comics, the animated series, and the Nolan trilogy, the Batman who refuses to kill.  Batman is a dark, troubled character.  But there is a line and he shouldn't cross it.  Also, while Bruce's nightmares serve a purpose within the story -- and in establishing his inner demons -- the main one drags out far too long.  We get it.  He fears Superman becoming a dictator.  Move on.

Jeremy Irons' Alfred suits this version of Batman.  He is tired, worn out, and a bit snarky.  He's also shown as a hands-on helper: fixing suits and flying the Batwing remotely.  It's nice to have Alfred do more than serve as Bruce's moral compass.

I liked the conflicted Superman/Clark Kent from Man of Steel.  That struggle carries over into Batman v. Superman as Clark tries to decide what Superman's place in the world is.  Conceptually it works.  In execution, it feels a bit muddled and like Clark is mostly reacting and being acted upon more than anything else.  I was also frustrated at his very poor communications skills when it came to interacting with Batman.  He had the high ground (literally ... but without the ground part).  Arguing, threatening, punching, and tearing up the Batmobile are not a great way to win someone over to your "I'm a good guy and you don't need to fear me" cause.

Where Batman has Alfred, Superman has Lois Lane and his mother.  In the limited scenes she has, Diane Lane does a good job as Martha Kent.  I also like Amy Adams' Lois Lane.  She has intelligence and gumption and is useful rather than helpless throughout the film.

Perhaps the best surprise of Batman v. Superman is actually Wonder Woman.  Gal Gadot does an excellent job as the enigmatic Diana Prince.  She's intriguing, clever, stunning, and fierce.  Her interactions with Bruce Wayne are some of the best moments in the film.  And when she enters the final fray, it is with more panache than her male allies.  That she is left largely a mystery at this point was also a wise choice.

All of the above casting choices are spot on.  And most of the rest of the cast is fine too.  But Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luther?  I cringed and groaned every moment he was on screen.  He's whiney, annoying, and manic.  I always expect Lex to be cunning and shrewd: a cool and collected man of business.  This Lex is not even close.  His Machiavellian plot is solely to kill Superman.  He doesn't seem to be motivated by revenge.  It's not implied that Superman is somehow in the way of Lex's "master" plan.  His only plan is to kill Superman.  And I really can't figure out why.  Nor did his final "warning" make any sense.  As villains go he was bland and boring.

The awesome musical theme from Man of Steel is back for Superman.  Wonder Woman gets an equally awesome theme.  Aside from those occasional snippets, the music in Batman v. Superman is terrible.  Truly terrible.  It is as overblown as the film itself.  I actively disliked most of the soundtrack.

Overall, Batman v. Superman is a bloated mess riddled with plot holes.  It's dark and grim with a few mentions of hope but very little to actually offer of it.  There are a few flashes of (much-appreciated) humor (see the Quotes section below).  But mostly it is grim and serious on top of more grim and serious.  I get that they are trying to distance themselves from the Marvel universe.  But lighten up a little.  There's a lot of talk about power in Batman v. Superman.  I wish it had instead shifted its focus to justice, mercy, redemption, and what it means to be a hero.  There is some talk of those things.  They are ripe themes for the picking.  But it is only ever talk.  What religious symbolism there is is devoid of understanding or heart.

If you are a fan of Batman and/or Superman, you'll likely see this film regardless of what I or the critics say.  And I'm not sorry I saw it.  There were a few good nuggets.  I'm sorry those nuggets were squandered, along with any potential this movie possessed.

*** Spoiler Section ***

If you're going to include Doomsday, then yeah, it's not too unexpected that you're going to include what Doomsday is most famous for: killing Superman.  Obviously they are going to bring Superman back to life.  How can they do the Justice League without him?  The much tougher thing is how are they going to bring back Clark Kent?  That won't work so well.  If Superman is no longer Clark Kent ... well, I'm done.

Here are a few more questions: Why don't Lex's goons in the desert just use normal weapons so there would be no trace of anything fishy?  Why would people think Superman bothered to use guns to kill people?  Why is Lex so intent on pitting Batman against Superman if he plans to have the kryptonite himself?  Why did Lex allow his right hand girl to get blown up?  If Diana Prince gave up being Wonder Woman years ago, is she just carrying around the outfit "just in case"?  How did Lex get the kryptonite into the U.S. after Senator Finch said she'd block it?  Did she not think he'd simply smuggle it in?  Was that just an idle "please, don't" and was thrown in simply to justify Lex later killing her?  Just how much of Batman's suit is bullet proof?  Do people really not recognize Clark as Superman simply because of the glasses?

Quotable Quotes

• "Clicks his heels three times and he's back in Kansas, I suppose." -- Perry White regarding Clark's disappearance
• "It's okay.  I'm a friend of your son's."  "I figured that.  The cape." -- Batman and Martha Kent
• "Is she with you?"  "I thought she was with you." -- Superman and Batman regarding Wonder Woman
• "Even you've gotten too old to die young ... not for lack of trying." -- Alfred to Bruce Wayne

ISFS

Zootopia

Year: 2016

Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, and Jenny Slate
Tagline: Welcome to the urban jungle
Synopsis: Judy Hopps is the ZPD's first bunny officer.  In order to prove she's no token bunny, and no meter maid, she teams up with a con-artist fox to crack the city's biggest case.

Review

I've been excited for Zootopia since the first teaser trailer came out.  I was not disappointed.  Zootopia is terrific, another great film from Disney Animation Studios' latest revival era.

Visually, the film is outstanding.  The fur on all the animals is so realistic (you know, for animation).  There is also so much going on in every scene.  It's too much to take in in one viewing.  There are so many visual gags and so many interesting things going on in this richly imagined world.  It's beautiful.

Zootopia has a two very strong messages.  The first is the standard follow your dreams and your heart.  But the second is a message against prejudice and stereotyping, a message that could easily become preachy or overbearing.  Putting those themes in a world of animals works really well and divests them from their real-world baggage.  The themes spring naturally from the story's premise of predator and prey living (mostly) in harmony.  We humans can then fill in our own blanks about the real world applications.  The themes also work because they grow out of the story and from the characters' weaknesses and strengths.  The film sets up all the stereotypes we expect from the various animals, then proceeds to break them down as characters are fleshed out and understood.

If Zootopia had just been a social commentary, it likely would have fallen flat.  Fortunately, it is also a well-crafted crime drama / buddy cop film.  It unfolds as a clever mystery that takes us through various parts of Zootopia, including Tundratown, a rainforest, and a sector for small rodents.  The unfolding mystery keeps everything hopping along at a good pace.

Anthropomorphic animals are certainly nothing new to the "House of Mouse."  But what was so fun about Zootopia is that animals are proportional.  Rather than having a mouse, a duck, and a dog that are all roughly the same size, the animals in Zootopia are true to their real-life counterparts.  One of the joys of the film is seeing the clever ways the film-makers came up with to accommodate and poke fun at the differences.  There's something so amusing about seeing a huge polar bear gently turning round the chair of a tiny arctic shrew or seeing a mouse's car blow away because of a parking ticket on the windshield.

Which brings me to my last point.  Zootopia is funny ... so, so funny.  I laughed aloud throughout the film.  There's something for everyone, but especially for the adults it seemed like.  There were a lot of references to The Godfather (references I got even without having seen the film).  There were clever puns.  The DMV sloth scene had the whole audience laughing.  And there were so many other inside jokes and fun characters that I basically had a grin on my face the entire movie.

I heartily recommend seeing Zootopia.  It was the most fun I've had at a movie this year and the best animated movie I've seen since Inside Out.  It's fun, clever, and carries a worthwhile message.  Do yourself a favor and go see it on the big screen.

*** Spoiler Section ***

Judy Hopps is a good, likable character.  She exudes optimism and gumption.  She's endearing from her very first scene.  That's why having Judy be the one who truly sticks her rabbit foot in her mouth works so well.  She has the best of intentions ... and she totally botches it at the press conference.  She's a good character who makes a very regrettable choice.  I like the believability of that.  Everybody makes mistakes.  And to her credit, Judy sees the folly of her actions and later does all she can to fix the problem, starting with her own narrow-mindedness.

One question though: where are all the birds, reptiles, and other non-mammals?

Quotable Quotes

• "Never let them see that they get to you." -- Nick Wilde
• "I came here to make the world a better place, but I think I broke it." "The world has always been a broken place.  That's why we need good cops." -- Judy Hopps and Chief Bogo
• "Life isn't some cartoon musical where you sing a little song and all your insipid dreams magically come true.  So let it go." -- Chief Bogo
• "It's called a hustle, sweetheart." -- Nick Wilde
• "Complimentary delousing each month." -- Judy's landlady

ISFS