Filmsy - Movie Reviews Blog

Alvin and the Chipmunks

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No, no, no, no, no.

That’s all we can say about “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.” The first movie was cute, given that it was for kids. And in a way, as annoying as that already was, it had kind of train-wreck charm about it. You had to watch it, and the hollywood numbers did show that it was successful at the box office.

But they should have quit while they were ahead.

The sequel starts after the chipmunks’ manager/guardian, Dave Seville (Jason Lee), gets into some weird accident and ends up in the hospital — where he stays for the whole movie. His assistant Toby (Zachary Levi) takes over. Or tries to. He’s just not ready to handle the rigors of raising Alvin, Simon and Theodore as they go through high school. (Most parents aren’t.)

To complicate things are the all-female singing chipmunk trio, the Chipettes. So it’s the battle of the rock rats — oh, excuse us, rock bands.

So what don’t we like about this movie? Bad acting, lame plot, no lovable character to root for (the Chipmunks have lost their novelty by now). Plus, considering the possibilities of having two chipmunk groups who can dance and sing, the movie fails at delivering catchy songs or interesting choreography. We’ve seen better sequences on Barney videos.

Of course, the kids will want to see this, and parents will dutifully take them. The movie producers are lucky that their prime audience (namely five-year-olds) are ridiculously easy to please. But to the adults who are condemned to take them, we send our condolences. Well, at least it’s fun to Munk Yourself.

The Princess and the Frog

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It’s a holiday tradition. Come Christmas time, Hollywood rolls out the feel-good family movie to take advantage of the “mommy crowd” eager to spend big money on a movie date and the corresponding merchandising. This year, it’s Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.

But this is no dainty princess: Tiana has dreams of her own — she’s not waiting for anyone to sweep her off her feet. Girls will like the spunky heroine, and possibly the songs. Because, oh, there are many songs. Disney went overboard with the soundtrack, which kind of slows down the story, though the variety is applaudable. Influences run from gospel to Broadway, though it’s not of the same caliber (in terms of catchiness) as Little Mermaid or Aladdin. The plot pacing is also a bit off: too much happens, too soon. Pity, because the characters are interesting. It’s cool how Disney has modernized the traditional princess, in response to a new generation of young girls who need more than a handsome prince to find a “happily ever after.”

Dr. Facilier is a cool villain and the voodoo world taps from the rich New Orleans culture. We only wish there were more of the Evil Doc. Unlike other Disney bad guys like Jafar or Mufasa, who hold their own against the hero, he doesn’t quite get the adequate air time.

The animation won’t win any awards for special effects: it’s classic 90’s Disney, and marks the studio’s nostalgic return to 2D animation — and the foolproof formula of a lovable heroine + a catchy song.

Looking Back at the Decade-Old “Bicentennial Man”

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It’s been almost ten years since “Bicentennial Man” was released and we have yet to see a robot come even remotely close to Andrew Martin’s (Robin Williams) caliber. Of course “Bicentennial Man” is sci-fi but with all the advances in technology we know that the line between sci-fi and reality gets blurred more and more each day.

I felt like writing about “Bicentennial Man” though not because of the sci-fi element but because, having seen it again lately, I remembered just how much of a tearjerker the movie was, and still is. If you haven’t seen “Bicentennial Man” yet don’t expect to be surprised by an unexpected twist in the plot or a sci-fi film full of imagination that is truly out there but do expect to be do expect to be immersed in a story of a robot reaching for his destiny, which is to be recognized for his humanity.“Bicentennial Man” is a remarkable film not for its novelty but because it is a great example of good old storytelling. It is one truly compelling film.

Other similar films that I enjoyed are “AI” and “I Robot”. For me AI was as good as tearjerker as “Bicentennial Man”. I think I almost died from a clogged nose right at the end when he “slept” with his mom. “I Robot” was also enjoyable with more action scenes and hence a bigger hit but for me it’s storytelling just wasn’t at par with the other two “humanized robot” stories.

Titanic Coming Back in 3D

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“Every night in my dreams I see you, I feeeel you…” Still really sticks once it you remember the titanic of a film – “Titanic”. Well next year a new crop of teenage girls will surely go crazy over the film since it is being remade into a 3D movie.

I know there would be people out there who’ll be less than enthusiastic about the news. But who cares? For girly girls like me who swooned and cried repeatedly during the countless time we saw the film back when we were in high school there’s no doubt that we’ll be awaiting the 3D remake of “Titanic”. For those involved in the film who’ll be making a titanic of a paycheck again once the blockbuster comes out, we can also be sure that they’ll probably be even more excited about the return of “Titanic”. The only one I can really think of who will benefit from the film that might not be too thrilled about its return would be Leo di Caprio simply because he is sooo over the crazy attention, especially from the paparazzi, from being a huge star. Of course he’s grown up a lot and should be able to handle the paparazzi thing now so maybe he isn’t to averse to the idea of “Titanic” coming back to make him the center of attention once more.

As for the actual 3D experience I am yet uncertain as to how that will pan out. Pretty sure that the once the boat starts sinking 3D aspect will make it more exciting but for the first part I don’t see how it’ll make much of a difference. Maybe cinemas should turn on fans (as in electric fans) during the famous “I’m flying” scene with Jack and Rose. Now THAT would be immersive.

Alice in Wonderland Trailer Truly “Awe-full”

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A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger…

It’s Alice in Wonderland and the trailer is here! The trailer captures the “Alice in Wonderland” we all read as a youngster so perfectly that it leave me with the very same feelings I felt then – awe with a tinge of fear. Ok so I felt more than just a tinge of fear when I was little (Read my post Alice in Wonderland’s Wondrous Pictures) but the good thing about the trailer is that at least it inspires more wonderment than fear. No need for me to keep on going because you can watch the video below.

If you haven’t seen “Alice in Wonderland’s” trailer yet I wonder what your waiting for?

Excited? Then better start preparing for that all important date because we’ve got plenty of waiting time. Alice in Wonderland won’t be out till March next year.