Into the Woods

Credible Credits

Year: 2014

Director: Rob Marshall

Starring: Emily Blunt, James Corden, Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Lilla Crawford, and Daniel Huttlestone
Tagline: Be Careful What You Wish For
Synopsis: Fairy tales converge as characters wish for, and search for, their happily ever afters.  But wishes don't always turn out as planned and danger is never far away when you travel into the woods.

Review

I have twice seen the video recording of the stage version (with Bernadette Peters as the Witch).  The first time I saw it was as a kid.  How old, I don't know.  But I remember enjoying act one and hating act two.  The next time I saw it was in college.  By that point I had no problem understanding that fairy tales were made for reimagining and that there is no one Cinderella or Rapunzel or whatever.  At that time I recognized the brilliance of Into the Woods and its beautiful and clever music.

So, I was excited to see the film adaptation.  And I was not disappointed.

Visually the film is quite fun and enjoyable.  I loved the woods and the feel of them.  They set the mood and feel for each scene.  Sometimes they seem warm and inviting.  Other times they are dark and claustrophobic.  I also liked that many of the settings felt more real than you normally get in a fairy tale.  The palace/castle felt more real than in say the animated Cinderella.  Jack and his mother's home seemed befitting their hardships.  Cinderella's stepmother's house felt lived in.  About the only visual that was a bit odd and jarring was inside the wolf.  But then how does one show inside a wolf without it feeling odd and jarring?

The music to Into the Woods is the best part.  It is gorgeous and sticks with you.  The lyrics are witty and clever (Agony is absolutely terrific as the two princes ham it up about their agonized love for two seemingly unreachable maidens).  The thing with the lyrics is they can go rather quickly, and you have to be paying attention; much of the story is contained within the lyrics.  Hearing the songs with a full orchestra is fantastic.  And the actors do a wonderful job with their numbers.  I actually didn't think that was Chris Pine singing as Cinderella's Prince, because he sounded so good and I had no idea Pine could sing.  The only weak link was Johnny Depp, who half talks, half sings his number.

There's a lot of humor within the film, but much of it is a subtle humor that can fly by if you're not paying attention.  I guess it is quirky.  And I like quirky.  I don't remember laughing aloud.  I do remember grinning throughout.  There's also a lot of heart.  All the major characters want something, wish for something.  And they are relatable things: going to a special event, having a child, being able to make ends meet.  Moreover, all the major characters lose something and must deal with the loss.

As for the story itself, Into the Woods starts as a fairly traditional fairy tale with everything coming together the way it's "supposed" to and everyone getting their happily ever afters.  But then the film takes a turn.  It becomes a story about consequences and responsibilities and finding that what you wished for wasn't what you wanted after all.  It becomes more realistic -- at least as realistic as you can be with giants, magic beans, and a witch.

Tying the music, the story, the humor, and the heart together is a superb cast.  They all do such a terrific job (well, I wasn't overly fond of Johnny Depp, but his character is unlikable anyway and he is seriously in the film all of 5 minutes).  Chris Pine is perfect as the charming (but ultimately insincere) prince.  Meryl Streep is a fantastic over-the-top witch.  Pretty much stealing the show, however, is Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife.  She nails the role and makes it her own.

Obviously if you don't like musicals and/or fairy tales, Into the Woods isn't for you.  And even if you do, you still might not enjoy it.  Sondheim's music and lyrics have a depth that perhaps not everyone will appreciate or stay engaged with.  The story takes fairy tales and turns them on their heads.  So yeah, it's not a film for everyone.  But as for me, I absolutely loved Into the Woods and have been humming the songs since I saw it.  I personally recommend the film.

*** Spoiler Section ***

I'm by no means a purist when it comes to adaptations: whether from books or plays.  Different mediums have different needs.  And sometimes your aim is for a slightly different audience.  There are plenty of valid reasons to make changes when adapting material to film.

To be honest, I'm actually quite fine with the changes.  They had to cut a number of songs to make it two hours instead of three.  They lightened up on some of the violence.  And yes, they made certain elements more family friendly.

I actually really liked that Rapunzel ran off with her prince (rather than getting squashed by the giantess).  We've already got the failed marriage of Cinderella and her prince.  So it is nice to have someone's relationship work out.  I'm also rather glad Snow White and Sleeping Beauty were cut out.

The only problem with cutting out much of the cast getting killed by the giantess is, it makes killing the giantess even more morally questionable -- a question Red Riding Hood raises.  Jack is a thief and is responsible for the giant's death.  The giantess has plenty of grounds for demanding justice.

That is part of what makes Into the Woods so interesting.  It isn't a story of good vs. evil.  Some of the most likable characters make some of the poorest choices.  As the witch proclaims: "You're not good, you're not bad, you're just nice!"  The closest thing to an evil character is the wolf, who is just doing what wolves do (or at least what they do in fairy tales).  This is a world of grey areas, as embodied by the woods themselves.  Much is made of how people are different or change within the woods.  Characters go into the woods and they lose themselves, or they find themselves, or both.  The audience is left to ask of themselves what's good or what's right and to analyze the cost of getting what you think you want.

Quotable Quotes

• "I was raised to be charming, not sincere." -- Cinderella's Prince
• "It's the last midnight.  It's the boom splat." -- Witch
• "You can talk to birds?" Red Riding Hood to Cinderella
• "I need your shoe so I can have a baby."  "That doesn't make any sense." Baker's Wife and Cinderella
• "I wish ..." -- most of the cast
• "The woods are just trees.  The trees are just wood." -- multiple characters

ISFS

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Credible Credits

Year: 2014

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, etc.
Tagline: The Defining Chapter
Synopsis: Having reclaimed the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves and Bilbo must now defend themselves as armies converge in the valley.  Meanwhile, Gandalf and the White Council learn more about the motives and identity of the Necromancer.

Review

I never did get around to re-reading The Hobbit before seeing any of the films.  So I'm not entirely sure what was changed and what remained the same.  But I remember enough to recognize the major changes.

Going into this finale, I had high hopes and expectations.  Perhaps they were a little too high.  The film is fun, beautiful, action-packed, and generally well crafted.  But it was not quite the epic send-off to Middle Earth I'd hoped for.

Visually, the film is all that you'd expect from Peter Jackson by this point.  Smaug -- though only briefly in this film -- is as epic looking a dragon as you could hope for.  There's not a lot of traveling in this one, so we don't get all the grand New Zealand vistas of previous films.  But the sets/settings there are, are beautifully imagined, especially frozen Ravenhill -- where Thorin and others battle the orc leaders -- and shadowy Dol Guldur -- where Gandalf has been imprisoned by the Necromancer.

One of the weaknesses of the film is how slow it is at times.  The pacing is pretty good -- moving from one scene or action sequence to another.  But there are a lot of quiet moments that seem unnecessarily prolonged.  Seriously, how long do we need to stare at [insert emotional character's name here]'s face?  Honestly, Jackson probably could have made The Hobbit as two films instead of three.  That said, I'll be buying the extended editions of all three when they come out.

In terms of additions for the films, Tauriel is a much more interesting/useful addition than Alfrid, the assistant to the Master of Laketown who then becomes the (mostly useless) assistant to Bard.  Tauriel is a sensible addition who is interwoven into the plot (more about her in the spoiler section).  Alfrid ... he seems to be there just for obnoxious moments of humor, or as a reminder of why elves and dwarves don't always like humans.  Honestly, I kept hoping someone would punch him (à la when Gandalf gives Denethor a swift knock to the head in Return of the King).

And then there's our favorite elf, Legolas, who also wasn't in the book but makes the most sense since it is his homeland and elven king Thranduil is his father.  I have no problem with his addition to the films.  I do have a qualm with his completely breaking the laws of physics.  Yes, he's an elf, with superhuman agility.  That still doesn't mean he can leap along falling stones.  There was some heavy duty eye rolling at that part.  Perhaps as a counterbalance to that impossibility, this film is the first time Legolas ever runs out of arrows.  Shocking.

One thing the film gets absolutely right is Thorin's descent into "dragon sickness" and Bilbo's unwavering loyalty to his friend.  Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman each do a fantastic job portraying the emotional struggles of their characters.  Their sometimes uneasy friendship does much to ground the movie and keep Thorin relatable when he's otherwise being a jerk.  It's also quite nice to see how much Bilbo has grown over the course of his adventures.  It's great watching how changed he is in his interactions with Thranduil and Gandalf.

For me, the most epic part of the film was the scene in Dol Guldur where the White Council battles the Nazgul and the Necromancer.  While not in The Hobbit, the event is one that occurred (more or less) within the history of Middle Earth.  Watching the Nazgul emerge from the shadows to do battle with Elrond and Saruman was just plain cool.  The setting, special effects, characters, and action just come together in epic fashion, reminiscent of LOTR.

If you saw all of the Lord of the Rings and the previous two Hobbit films, of course you should see this one.  It (mostly) wraps everything up and sets the stage for The Fellowship of the Ring.  It has enough moments of awesome, enough heart, and enough epic scope to be a worthwhile final trip to Middle Earth.  It just could have been more.

*** Spoiler Section ***

Having read The Hobbit, I did remember that Kili, Fili, and Thorin would all die.  So that felt rather inevitable when watching the film.  I was so impressed by Thorin's clever dispatch of Azog by stepping off the ice and making him fall into the water to be trapped under the ice.  Clever, but ultimately futile.

Since I knew Kili was doomed, I naturally assumed the Kili/Tauriel relationship was going to be the Middle Earth version of Romeo and Juliet, with both being killed.  That Tauriel survives was a huge surprise.  But then they didn't even sufficiently wrap up her story to explain her complete absence from LOTR.  She's been banished from her own home, so where does she go?  Why does she disappear?  Does she depart Middle Earth from the Grey Havens?  Tie up the loose end!

I was also a bit annoyed with Tauriel at the end.  Yes, she was freshly grieving her love.  Of course she didn't want to deal with the pain.  But as I watched that final scene with her all I could think was that she was the anti-Arwen.  Arwen chose the bitter with the sweet.  She chose Aragorn even knowing he would someday die and it would break her heart.  In that moment, Tauriel seemed not as strong or admirable a character.  And if they were going for a comparison with Arwen, they could have done more to really build it up.  Or they could have just killed Tauriel.

Also a little disappointing was the lack of wrap up for Bard and the rest of the humans.  It's neither mentioned nor even implied that Bard becomes king of Dale, which is what happens in the book.

Quotable Quotes

• "You should have stayed dead!" -- Elrond to the Nazgul
• "Nothing gets passed me, sire."  "Except an army of elves, it would seem." -- Alfrid and Bard
• "It's out of the question.  I won't allow it."  "I'm not asking you to allow it, Gandalf." -- Gandalf and Bilbo
• "Leave Sauron to me!" -- Saruman [We know how well that works.]

ISFS

Merry Christmas: "Lord, with the Angels We Too Would Rejoice"

There's no movie review here, just a Christmas message:

“Lord, with the angels we too would rejoice.”  So begins the third verse of John Menzies Macfarlane’s Christmas hymn “Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains.”  Have you ever wondered why he chose “would rejoice”?  He could have penned “can rejoice” or “shall rejoice” or even “will rejoice.”  Instead he chose “would.”  Could it be because even in 1869, Macfarlane recognized that it isn’t always easy to rejoice?

Christmas is a busy time of year.  We would rejoice, but first we need to finish trimming the tree and hanging the lights.  We’ll rejoice once the shopping is done and the presents are wrapped.  Or maybe once the driveway is shoveled and the cookies are baked and the cards are sent and the parties are planned and the dinner is cooked and the chestnuts are roasted and the stockings are hung and the fruitcake’s re-gifted and Tiny Tim is all better and there’s Christmas in Whoville and the partridge is in the pear tree ... and ... and ... [insert a much needed cup of hot cocoa].

Or maybe we are hindered by a different kind of “would.”  We would rejoice, but we can’t sing like Celine Dion or Michael Bublé.  We can’t perform music like The Piano Guys or compose like Handel.  We can’t write stories like Dickens or Dr. Seuss.  We can’t decorate like Martha Stewart.  And all our best efforts look nothing like the perfect crafts and goodies on Pinterest.

As Christmas nears, do we find ourselves lost in the “woulds” of busyness or inadequacy?  It is easy to do.  Perhaps that is why the very next line in the hymn is the plea, “Help us to sing with the heart and voice.”  Christ, Who gave us the reason for the season, also stands waiting to empower us with the hope and joy of the season.  Then, with rejoicing in our hearts, the To Do list becomes a Get To Do list and none of our best efforts—however feeble—will ever fall flat.

May we all rejoice with the angels in the “message of mercy,” even “Glory to God in the highest!”

ISFS

Mockingjay - Part 1

Credible Credits

Year: 2014

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Julianne Moore
Tagline: Fire burns brighter in the darkness.
Synopsis: Having destroyed the Hunger Games, Katniss finds herself in District 13 where a rebellion is fomenting and she is sought for as the symbol of their cause: the Mockingjay.

Review

Nope, I still haven't read the books.  Nor do I intend to.  But I do know the gist of how everything will end up, so I didn't go into Mockingjay - Part 1 completely unprepared.

I still have a hard time liking Katniss as a character.  She's just so myopic and prickly.  And in this go round she spends more time being a pawn or Mockingjay puppet than active agent within the story.  There's nothing wrong with that, and Jennifer Lawrence does an excellent job (again) portraying a conflicted young woman caught up in a firestorm.  But she isn't as appealing a character to me, so I have a hard time getting very excited about these films.

Unlike its predecessors, Mockingjay - Part 1 is low on action.  Katniss fires one arrow during the entire film.  This is the (relative) calm before the storm and is more along the lines of a political thriller than anything else.  "Moves and counter-moves" as President Snow dryly observes.  At this point it is a war of propaganda.  What action there is is well paced and you never get bored.  At the same time, it can feel a bit slow, as it painstakingly lays the foundation for Part 2 next year.

Where the film shines is in the emotions.  The song, "The Hanging Tree" is beautiful and perfect for the story.  And even though she apparently hated having to sing it, Jennifer Lawrence does a spot-on job.  Her voice has just the right unpolished depth that the song and the moment need.

Although Katniss is the Mockingjay and the center of the propaganda, also impressive were the times when she was not the center of attention.  Gale's regret-filled narrative of the destruction of District 12 is powerful.  And it was terrific to see Finnick rise above his shell-shocked depression to recount the life he was forced to live and the secrets he subsequently learned.  All of this lays the foundation that Part 2 will build upon.

Apparently, Effie Trinket doesn't play any role in Mockingjay the book.  I'm quite glad they decided to bring her into the film.  It works to have her in District 13.  And it especially works to have her help prep Katniss for her role as Mockingjay.  I can't imagine anyone other than Effie filling that role.

Pretty much if you saw the first two Hunger Games movies, you're going to see this one.  It is what it is: a sort of transition from Hunger Games to open rebellion and war.  And if the film does nothing else, it gets you all ready for next year's (hopefully) epic conclusion.

*** Spoiler Section ***

When President Snow warns Katniss that it is the things we love that destroy us, I didn't know he intended it quite so literally.  That was both clever and devious.  And harsh.  It did make for a pretty powerful cliffhanger ending.

Quotable Quotes

• "Any other conditions?"  "My sister gets to keep her cat." -- President Coin and Katniss
• "They'll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you." -- Effie to Katniss
• "And what if you're killed?"  "Make sure to get it on camera." -- President Coin and Katniss
• "Miss Everdeen, it is the things we love most that destroy us." -- President Snow

ISFS

Interstellar

Credible Credits

Year: 2014

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Ann Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and Topher Grace
Tagline: Mankind was born on Earth.  It was never meant to die here.
Synopsis: When Earth becomes increasingly uninhabitable, a group of scientists journey beyond the solar system to find a new home for humanity.

Review

This is one of those very rare movies that I'm totally glad I saw, but really don't feel the need to see again.  So while I recommend seeing it because it is beautiful and thought-provoking, I have no idea if you'll actually like it.  Interstellar does a number of things right, but it does have its flaws.

If I could sum up the movie in one word, it would be "ambitious."  Wow, it is an ambitious film.  I love Christopher Nolan's stuff (primarily the Batman trilogy and Inception).  He has such an incredible vision.  His films are original and imaginative.  And even though they are filled with special effects, Nolan does as many as possible as practical effects (i.e., without the use of CGI).  Because of all that, the worlds he creates are so immersive, and Interstellar is no different.

Another strength of Interstellar is that it is so original.  For the entire movie, I had absolutely no idea where it was going or how it was going to get wherever it was going.  I had no clue how it would end until it actually ended.  You don't find that in many movies these days.  Most films have some element of predictability.  And while some degree of predictability isn't bad, it is refreshing to watch a film where you just aren't sure what's going to happen.

Another signature element of Nolan's movies is his subtle humor.  His films don't try to be funny.  But there is humor because it comes naturally from the character or the situation.  Given that the fate of humanity rests on these scientists and the people back on Earth are struggling to survive, the human characters don't provide a whole lot of humor in the film.  Thankfully, there is TARS, a robot with an adjustable humor setting who serves to lighten the mood from time to time.  And just to make sure his human coworkers know when he is joking, he has a cue light.  Nice.

Interstellar is certainly a film that demands your attention.  A lot of science is thrown about, and the filmmakers did their homework to be as accurate as possible.  Still, unless you are a physics major, most of the science can be a bit much.  I found it was simplest to just suspend my disbelief and accept whatever science they spouted as accurate for this cinematic universe.

All the actors do a terrific job in their various roles.  Matthew McConaughey shows a lot of depth in his role as absentee father.  Ann Hathaway is also great, as always.  And it never gets old hearing Michael Caine recite lines from Dylan Thomas' famous poem, "Do not go gentle into that good night."

My criticisms all involve spoilers.  Suffice it to say here, Interstellar is a fascinating and beautiful movie that is certainly worth at least one viewing.

*** Spoiler Section ***

I really loved the idea of some cosmic "Them" who was helping to save humanity.  I wish the film had left it as that: mysterious benefactors.  The film lost me when Cooper "realizes" that all this time it has just been future humans reaching back through time.  Time travel, even when you have time become a dimension, is tricky.  It just seemed like the film created a time travel paradox.  Humans can't reach back and save themselves from extinction.  They have to survive into the "future" in the first place.

My biggest peeve with the movie comes at the very end.  The entire movie has been about the importance of love and family.  So much importance is placed on Cooper's love for his son and daughter and how much he wants to get back to his family.  And then he does.  But by that point, Murphy is old and has a family of her own ... but nobody seems to care.  Cooper enters a room filled with his grandchildren, great grandchildren, and possibly great great grandchildren.  But he doesn't acknowledge them and they don't acknowledge him.  What kind of family reunion is that?  And what happened to Tom and his family?  It's sad that the film seems to say "family" and "love" only apply to the people you know, not the generations you don't.

This is just a nitpick, but how is it Cooper and TARS are able to simply commandeer a spaceship and take off with it?  Worst security ever.

After the film, I found myself wanting one more scene, maybe a post-credits scene.  I wanted to see Cooper reach Brand and then she gives him a slap to the face A) for lying to her about his plan to get sucked into the black hole, and B) as an "I told you so" when she said they should go to Edmunds' planet instead of Mann's.  Her woman's intuition and desire to follow her heart were right.

Oh, and how the heck did Edmunds die?  If that is truly a viable planet for life, it would be good to know why the first person didn't survive.

Quotable Quotes

• "We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars.  Now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt." -- Cooper
• "Love is the one thing that transcends time and space." -- Brand
• "What's your trust setting, TARS?" "Lower than yours, apparently." -- Cooper and TARS
• "Do not go gentle into that good night." -- Dr. Brand

ISFS

Big Hero 6

Credible Credits

Year: 2014

Director: Don Hall and Chris Williams

Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, and Maya Rudolph
Synopsis: When a mysterious supervillain threatens San Fransokyo, five science nerds and an inflatable healthcare robot transform themselves into high-tech heroes.

Review

Before I get to the feature film, let me just mention the short that preceded it.  It's called Feast and is about a dog, his owner, and the food they share.  In true Disney form, it is a beautiful little short that is also quite charming.  I grinned the whole time.

In case you don't know, Big Hero 6 is loosely based on a relatively obscure Marvel comic book series.  As such, it is a fun crossover of the Marvel and Disney brands, bringing the best of both into a family-friendly action romp.

First off, Big Hero 6 is gorgeously animated.  The fictional city of San Fransokyo is beautifully and richly imagined.  It is a slightly futuristic metropolis that still feels grounded and relatable, just full of possibilities.  The city is so fun to admire, you almost want Baymax to do another flyby just to take more in.

The story basically comes down to a superhero origin story.  That is not always the easiest thing to tackle.  Fortunately, these characters are unknown, so their story manages to be both fresh and familiar.  Rather than shy away from what it is, the film is self-aware enough that it acknowledges and pokes fun at its being an origin story.

While the story starts out strong and engaging, it loses a little of that power toward the end.  To borrow a fitting thought from a review I saw, it kind of turns into an episode of Scooby Doo by the end.  It's just Scooby Doo with superheros and an inflatable robot instead of a Great Dane.  The problem is the villain.  I can't say much without getting into spoilers.  But the villain went from menacing to bland.  It's terrific that the villain in the kabuki mask is completely no nonsense.  He is both mysterious and menacing as he immediately goes after our heroes once they are on his trail.  He says nothing.  They are in his way, so he tries to get rid of them.  That's awesome.  But then he's unmasked and it really does feel a bit like Scooby Doo with a bunch of meddling kids foiling an elaborate plot.

Aside from the villain, all the other characters are fun, quirky, and endearing.  You can't not love Baymax.  His gentle naivete is refreshing.  And he gives the best fist bumps ever.  Hiro (the main character) and his older brother have a great, believable relationship and both are characters you just want to root for.  But it's the other members of the team that are so fun.  Go Go is the no nonsense adrenaline junkie.  Honey Lemon is the unflappable optimist.  Wasabi is the down-to-earth neat-freak.  And Fred is the uber-excited fanboy.  Each is just so fun.  And rather than super powers, they are all super nerds, in the science sense (well, except Fred).  They each use their specialized science skills to become high-tech heroes.  Science has never seemed so cool.

How all those characters come together and work together is one of the charms of the movie.  And it's really funny to watch them interact.  And because each character is so different, there's someone relatable for almost everyone.  I personally liked Wasabi best, especially when Go Go disrupted his meticulously organized tool set.

True to the Disney brand, Big Hero 6 is not only funny, it also has a lot of heart.  For a movie geared toward kids, it does a good job dealing with some of the weightier emotions that drive the plot.  You care about the characters.  It's a pleasure to spend time with them.

While it is not without its flaws, I highly recommend Big Hero 6.  It's beautiful, funny, heart-warming, and action-packed.  You could see it for Baymax alone and get your money's worth.

*** Spoiler Section ***

A good villain is crucial.  What would The Avengers be without Loki?  Or Batman without the Joker?  Or the Incredibles without Syndrome?  This kind of movie needs a strong villain who is not only menacing but engrossing and/or unexpected.  When Hans revealed himself as the villain in Frozen I was blown away.  I did not see that coming.  But the moment Professor Callaghan was introduced I thought, "Well, there's the villain."  And as soon as Alistair Krei was introduced I knew he was the decoy we were supposed to think was the villain.  That right there is a fairly classic Scooby Doo misdirect.

Now I'm not saying revenge isn't a good motivation for a villain.  It works.  It has worked hundreds, even thousands of times.  But this time it just wasn't believable.  Callaghan is introduced as a kind, attentive professor who shows interest in his students.  For him to turn around and be completely callous at Tadashi's death just doesn't fit.  Nor does it fit that in his grief he would now seek to kill his former students.  Yes, grief can do terrible things to a person.  But I found it hard to believe.  If he was so grief-stricken and consumed with thoughts of revenge, how has nobody noticed?  And all it takes is one cool science project to push him over the edge into a homicidal supervillain?  I'm sure there were easier ways Callaghan could have gotten revenge on Krei.

To me it felt like Callaghan would want to kidnap Krei and force him to resume work on the teleportation technology in the fragile hope that his daughter might somehow be alive, trapped in the realm between the portals.  That would have fit the character better.

I loved the film, but Callaghan as a supervillain was a major disappointment.  If he hadn't been so worried about his daughter, I really would have expected him to utter the familiar, "And I would've gotten away with it, if it weren't for those meddling kids."

Quotable Quotes

• "This is like our origin story!" -- Fred
• "Why are you stopping?" "The light's red."  "There are no red lights in car chases!" Go Go and Wasabi
• "Flying makes me a better healthcare companion." -- Baymax

ISFS

Toy Story of Terror!

Credible Credits

Year: 2013

Director: Angus MacLane

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Carl Weathers, Timothy Dalton, Wallace Shaw, and Don Rickles

Synopsis: During a road trip with their owner, Bonnie, the Toy Story gang get stuck at a roadside motel where strange things begin to happen. 

Review

Like my last post, this is a bit of a departure from the norm.  Instead of a feature film, Toy Story of Terror! is a TV special that came out last year.  But that doesn't make it any less terrific.  I actually really enjoy where Pixar has gone with its beloved Toy Story franchise.  The shorts and this special provide opportunities to spend time with the lovable characters without having to come up with a contrived, drawn out plot.  That said, it was just announced that Toy Story 4 is happening.  Here's hoping they have a good plot ... but that's beside the point right now.

While it may not be feature length, Toy Story of Terror! is still made with all the skill and artistry we've come to expect from Pixar.  It looks fantastic, just as good as any of their movies.  And all the original voice actors are back to do their part.  While the story is relatively simple, that's what you want in a 21 minute show.  Simple is not boring, and the show keeps you engaged (and laughing) the entire time.  Plus the story has a nice message and a good little character arc for our favorite yodeling cowgirl, Jessie.

Like most things Pixar, the film is filled with subtle gags you can only pick up on repeat viewings.  One of my favorites is when Mr. Pricklepants (a hedgehog) is erroneously referred to as a "German beaver."  Also fun is the rubber bat (with a visible wire no less) in the horror movie the toys are watching from the start.

The Blu-ray (and I assume DVD) is also filled with terrific extras that add to the fun.  You can watch a special version of the show that has "commercials" where the TV breaks are.  The commercials are specially made for the video release and are for a few of the new characters in the story.  Also included are the three Toy Story Toons that have been released: Hawaiian Vacation, Small Fry, and Partysaurus Rex.  Each is a fun little jaunt back through the Toy Story world.  Plus there are deleted scenes and a little behind-the-scenes documentary.

I highly recommend Toy Story of Terror!  It's fun, clever, and populated with familiar friends.  If you can, check it out on TV.  Or go ahead and buy the Blu-ray (or DVD).  If you love the Toy Story gang, you won't regret it.

Quotable Quotes

• "Only a kitty cat.  Classic misdirection." -- Mr. Pricklepants.
• "We're gonna stay here all night?" "Dun dun duuuun." -- Rex and Mr. Pricklepants
• "Combat Carl never gives up.  Combat Carl finds a way." "Are you 'Combat Carl'?" -- Combat Carl and Jessie

ISFS