FURRY VENGEANCE

2010, Summit Entertainment

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 92 mins.

THE STORY:

Dan Sanders (Brendan Fraser) has moved his wife, Tammy, (Brooke Shields) and son, Tyler (Matt Prokop) far from the city into the wilderness. Or rather, to a new subdivision immediately adjacent to what remains of the wilderness. Dan is a developer supervising the construction, and he soon learns that his malevolent boss (Ken Jeong) is planning to raze the entire forest to erect even more homes.

Not only does Dan have to contend with the resentful disapproval of his son, but his task of destroying their habitat has made enemies of all of the local forest creatures. The animals, led by a raccoon ring-master, set out to make Dan's life hellish enough to chase him and his plans away. Dan endures their assaults, as well as the disbelief of all those around him. Eventually, he realizes that the animals are his victims as much as he is theirs, and turns against his boss.   

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• ass
• stupid
• kill 

VIOLENCE:

• More threat than actual-- mostly slapstick
• Discussion of killing

TEACHING POINTS:

• Find your moral compass and follow it
• The environment is ours to protect

THE UPSHOT:

Watched this pretty much right after George of the Jungle, i.e. Brendan Fraser at his finest and shiniest. Lesson learned: Even the best of us succumb to spread.  

I actually liked a lot of the components of the film-- the themes, the special effects, some of the performances, the nuance in Dan's character-- but for some reason, it just doesn't all coalesce. It tries hard, but somehow just falls a bit flat. Especially the ending.

One thing I really disliked about the movie was Ken Jeong, in the role of 'character that Ken Jeong always plays in everything he is ever in.' Irritating and a bit racist.

The 5 year-old in the room (and the adults, if I'm honest) really enjoyed the animal special effects. The story is easy for kids to follow and the humour frequently verges on the goofy. 

3.5/5

BRAVE

2012, Pixar

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 93 mins.

THE STORY:

Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is fast approaching adulthood, and has just discovered that with age and royal pedigree comes onerous responsibility: according to Highland tradition, she must marry the heir to one of three clans allied with her father, Fergus (Billy Connelly). Merida, however, who revels in her life as a free-spirited tom-boy, is more likely to be found riding and shooting arrows than preening or fawning over suitors. While her father takes pride in his daughter's spirit, her mother (Emma Thompson) constantly tries to remind Merida that she is a lady and should act as such.

Frustrated with her mother's constant cautions and unwilling to marry, Merida asks a local witch to "change" her mother. This has unexpected and disastrous results when Queen Elinor is transformed into a bear, the nemesis to which Fergus has already lost a leg. Merida has a small window of time to "mend the bond"-- and a limited amount of space to hide her bear-mother-- before the transformation becomes permanent.

Although Merida is at first unable to see how her selfishness and recklessness produced the dangerous situation, she learns to accept responsibility for her own actions and to truly make amends. In the end, the clan and the family bonds are all restored, and made even stronger.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Shut it
• Stupid

VIOLENCE:

• more ominous than violent
• some general brawling-- punching, hitting, etc.

TEACHING POINTS:

• Examine your own actions and take responsibility for them
• Having independent choice is a right and a privilege

THE UPSHOT:

The 5 year-old in the room had a hard time with the Scottish accents and found the bear-haunting aspect frightening. The story line is a bit confusing for younger kids, but it is a pretty unique approach to some important themes. And it's Pixar, so needless to say the animation is fabulous. 

The adult in the room found it better than the average Disney 'princess' fare. Merida is brave, independent, strong, unconcerned with her appearance and flawed. She makes mistakes, but learns from them. And she doesn't emerge from the story rescued and eclipsed by a Prince Charming-- she provides her own salvation. While I loved the fact that the story centres on a strong female character, the 5 year-old in the room would have preferred a typical Disney and-they-lived-happily-ever-after ending.

4/5

HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL

2011, Kanbar Entertainment

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 86 mins.

THE STORY:

Woolf (Patrick Warburton) and Red (Hayden Panettiere) are back, now members of an elite crime fighting unit under the direction of Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers). When Hansel and Gretel disappear, the two are joined in their mission to find them by Granny (Glenn Close), a member of a secret crime fighting organization.

Hansel and Gretel turn out to be less than innocent victims, and the three crime fighters encounter various dangerous situations as they solve the mystery and set everything to rights.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• didn't catch any, but couldn't focus enough to swear to it

VIOLENCE:

• nothing significant

TEACHING POINTS:

• jealousy is bad
• it's never too late to change/ embrace a friend

THE UPSHOT:

What a waste of great voice talent. What a waste of 86 minutes of my life. Truth be told, it wasn't a complete waste of my time: I found it so hard to focus my attention on the movie that I did a number of other things while/ instead of watching.

Hoodwinked Too! achieves a pretty remarkable feat: it manages to be both fast-paced and convoluted, and completely boring and pointless. Save yourselves! Don't do it, folks.

1.5/5

KANGAROO JACK

2003, Warner Brothers Pictures

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 89 mins.

THE STORY:

Charlie (Jerry O'Connell) and his best friend, Lewis (Anthony Anderson), are sent to Australia on a mission for Charlie's mobster stepfather Sal (Christopher Walken), after the two cause trouble with the latter's business. 

They are given an envelope containing $50 thousand to give to a Mr. Smith (Marton Csokas). Things soon go awry, however, when a kangaroo unexpectedly runs off with the money. Charlie and Lewis hit him with their car (as you do), and dress what they thought was a corpse up in Lewis' jacket (as you do) to take photos (as you do). When it turns out the kangaroo is not dead, and is considerably faster than the two men, they make various attempts to track him down and get back the money.

Along the way, they are aided by animal rescuer Jessie (Estella Warren), and hunted by hit-man Mr. Smith and Sal's right-hand man, Frankie (Michael Shannon), both of whom are out to kill them. Despite all odds, Charlie, Lewis and Jessie manage to outwit the villains and get back the envelope. The good guys prosper, and the bad guys pay for their crimes.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Crap
• Stupid
• Shut up
• Hell
• Oh my God
• Damn
• Pansy ass retard (...yes, really)

VIOLENCE:

• hitting, punching, falling and the like
• shooting 
• threatening actions and language

TEACHING POINTS:

• friends are precious
• if at first you don't succeed...

THE UPSHOT:

On the plus side, 2 things: Christopher Walken and the kangaroo special effects. It is pretty amazing how realistic the latter looks most of the time. Perhaps they spent so much of the budget on special effects that they couldn't afford decent writers or actors?

The makers of this film seem to have had a problem deciding who their target audience should be. They try to appeal to pubescent boys with a completely gratuitous wet T-shirt scene and other breast-centric scenes, but the story is so ridiculous that none but the pre-pubescent would buy it. The language, however, is too mature for the very young, and at times too offensive for anyone of any age (see above).

Knowing what I know now, I would not show this to my 5 year-old. I just can't get past the (what I consider) age-inappropriate aspects. I don't think she was damaged by watching it, but I don't think she gained anything either. The effects are impressive and there are humorous scenes, but she could have got that elsewhere with less of the negatives.      

1.5/5

GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE

1997, Walt Disney Pictures

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 92 mins.

THE STORY:

Baby George (Brendan Fraser) is lost in the jungle in a plane crash, and raised by a highly intellectual gorilla (John Cleese). Years go by, and more visitors come to the jungle: rich American heiress Ursula Stanhope (Leslie Mann), her smarmy, ill-intentioned fiance Lyle (Thomas Haden Church) and his dimwitted entourage.

When George rescues Ursula from a lion she joins him in his tree-house and he begins to endear himself to her. Lyle's malevolent side gets the better of him and he ends up in jail, but not before accidentally shooting George. Ursula then jets George to San Francisco to get him the best medical care possible. Hilarity ensues as George confronts the big city and its high society. 

Meanwhile, back in Africa, the poachers who were accompanying Lyle manage to capture George's gorilla father. When George gets the news, he immediately sets off to rescue Ape. Ursula follows and the two manage to free Ape. Lyle reappears eager to marry Ursula, but, ultimately, the good guy wins the girl.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• stupid
• ass

VIOLENCE:

• there is some shooting and fighting, but it is all very over-the-top or suggested rather than explicit
• narrator makes clear at the outset that no one dies and there are just some 'booboos'

TEACHING POINTS:

• follow your heart
• good triumphs over evil

THE UPSHOT:

This was a hit with the adults and the 5 year-old in the room. It is silly and absurd and fun. It shares a lot with Dudley Do-Right beyond Brendan Fraser, but where the latter falls a bit flat, George of the Jungle is well-crafted.

What a change to watch a movie in which the male lead is scantily-clad and oiled up while the female lead is always fully clothed. While those who admire the male form will likely be impressed by Brendan Fraser's, the film is in no way overtly sexual or inappropriate for kids. 

4/5

OPEN SEASON

2006, Columbia Pictures

Animated

Rating: PG

Approx. 86 mins.

THE STORY:

Boog the bear (Martin Lawrence) lives a life of domesticated ease as the quasi-pet of park ranger Beth (Debra Messing). His world is given a jolt when he discovers Elliot the deer (Ashton Kutcher) tied to the truck of a rule-breaking hunter. Boog releases and rescues the hapless deer, who then tries to convince the bear that his life in captivity is a freakish anomaly. Elliot manages to get Boog into a pile of trouble, which culminates in the townspeople thinking he has gone wild and needs to be relocated deep in the forest.

Life in the forest proves hard for Boog, who lacks the street-smarts or survival skills of the other animals living there. He also finds himself living under the threat of the impending hunting season opening. Elliot, desperate for Boog's friendship, pretends he is leading Boog back to his old home. Along the way, they bond as they try to foil the evil hunter. Ultimately, Boog realizes that the freedom of the forest and the friendship of its inhabitants is what he really wants.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Crap
• Stupid
• Shut up

VIOLENCE:

• hitting, falling and the like, but nothing significant

TEACHING POINTS:

• It's more about entertainment that messaging, but you could draw some points about friendship and honesty out if you really wanted to

THE UPSHOT:

A bit crude both visually and verbally, but very entertaining. The characters-- especially the deer-- are endearing and I found myself laughing along with the 5 year-old in the room. 

4/5

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

2012, DreamWorks Animation

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 97 mins.

THE STORY:

The Guardians are a select group whose mission is to ensure the well-being of all children on earth. The members are familiar to most: Santa (an unrecognizable Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fischer) and the Sandman. A threat looms in the form of Pitch (Jude Law), the Bogeyman who plans to empty children's minds of hope and belief, and fill the void with nightmares and fear. The Man in the Moon, who runs the entire show, decides that it is time to add another Guardian to the force, and chooses Jack Frost, a young adult who regularly 'acts out' as he suffers from an identity crisis. 

As Pitch works his evil, children start to lose their belief in the Guardians. They need Jack's help in their fight for survival. Though he is willing, he is distracted by his lack of memories of his previous life and his all-consuming desire to know why he is who he is. Eventually, he remembers who he was, and realizes that he himself, not the Man in the Moon, made him a Guardian. Jack joins the others as a true equal to find the last child who believes in them, and together they manage to defeat Pitch and his faith-eroding nightmares.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

•  none

VIOLENCE:

• No real violence, but the evil character is pretty ominous and there are some fight scenes
• Sandman appears to be killed early on, but later returns good as new

TEACHING POINTS:

• Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist
• Who you were is far less important than who you choose to be
• Fears lose their power if you refuse to be afraid of them

THE UPSHOT:

I was curious how this would go over, given the non-traditional depictions of the Easter Bunny et al-- Santa carries 2 large cutlasses, the choleric Easter Bunny is equally armed. The Bogeyman is exceedingly creepy in terms of his appearance, voice and movements. The themes are also pretty mature: the search for identity and self-realization. You could also read religious or spiritual overtones into the story if you were so inclined: reincarnation, abiding faith in the unseen, etc.

Shockingly, I needn't have worried since the 5 year-old in the room loved it. Aside from the idea of Santa, the Tooth Fairy and company as protagonists, there is enough humour and action to distract from the heaviness. The voices are flawless, the animation impressive, and the story refreshingly unique. 

I found it a bit dark and long, but the 5 year-old in the room didn't. On that basis... recommended.

4/5

HOODWINKED

2005, Kanbar Animation

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 80 mins.

THE STORY: 

Street savvy Little Red Riding Hood (Anne Hathaway), better known as Red, works for her Granny's (Glen Close) bakery delivering cookies to creatures throughout the story-book forest. Everyone is on full-alert as someone has been stealing the recipes from the various bakeries in the village. Along her trip, she is shadowed by the shady Wolf (Partick Warburton). When she arrives at Granny's house, she finds Granny tied up in the closet, Wolf in the bed, and an excitable woodsman (James Belushi) on site. 

The police are called and an investigation begins under the supervision of detective Nicky Flipper (David Ogden Stiers). Each character is interrogated and tells the same story from their own perspective, filling in and interpreting gaps to create a rounded picture that ultimately reveals who has been stealing the recipes.   

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

•  None

VIOLENCE:

• Nothing notable

TEACHING POINTS:

• Try to look at situations you think you understand from a different perspective 

THE UPSHOT:

I like the Rashomon-style approach, the fact that it takes a story we all think we know and turns it on its head to make us question our own perspectives. It's definitely a clever movie. It's also very fast-paced and fast-talking. And that, in part, makes it inaccessible for younger kids. The references and ironic twists are a bit complex, as is much of the humour. 

I also found the first half a lot more enjoyable than the second. maybe the novelty had worn off? The story got more outrageous? The culprit became too obvious? There was less of a film noir flavour? Not quite sure why.

As an adult movie, it's entertaining. As a kids' movie, it falls a bit flat.

2.5/5

IGOR

2008, Exodus Film Group

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 87 mins.

THE STORY:

The kingdom of Malaria is a dark place, ruled by a monarch who has convinced his subjects that only the evil survive. The raison d'etre of every person and thing there is to be or produce evil.

Igor (John Cusack) is an Igor, which is to say that his lot in life is to flip the switch to bring his inventor master's creations to life. But Igor has aspirations beyond his station: he wants to be an inventor. And when his master, Dr. Glickenstein (John Cleese), pays the ultimate price for his incompetence by blowing himself up, Igor gets his chance. He hides his master's death and begins work on his pet project: creating life.

Igor is under a time crunch, as the Evil Science Fair is fast approaching, and the king (Jay Leno) wants Igor's (late) master to produce an entry that beats out the reigning champion, Dr. Schadenfreude (Eddie Izzard). Igor succeeds in producing Eva (Molly Shannon), a rag tag amalgamation of spare parts who turns out not to have the evil monster character her maker intended. An attempt to brainwash her into becoming evil turns her instead into an actress. Igor decides to go with it and convinces her that the Science Fair is an audition for a role as an evil monster.

In the days leading up to the Fair, Eva and Igor each realize that they have feelings for each other. By this point, however, Schadenfreude, a sham who steals others' ideas, has kidnapped Eva and plans, after activating her evil side, to debut her as his own invention. Igor and his pals have the task of rescuing and restoring her to the kind creature she was.
  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• stupid
• idiot
• shut up
• ugly

VIOLENCE:

• suggestions of gore (e.g. the rabbit is shown to have chewed his feet off), but more menace than anything else

TEACHING POINTS:

• It's better to be a kind nobody than an evil somebody
• You don't have to be what others tell you to be
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

THE UPSHOT:

Both the adults and the 5 year-old in the room enjoyed this. It has a pretty unique story-line, clever dialogue and lots of humour. Steve Buscemi and Sean Hayes steal the show as Igor's comic sidekicks, an immortal bunny with a death wish and a jarred brain lacking in any intelligence. Most of the humour was lost on the child, but there was enough visual silliness to entertain.

I also liked the novelty of watching two physically unattractive characters by conventional standards reveal themselves over 87 minutes as genuinely beautiful individuals through their words and actions. 

4/5

PARANORMAN

2012, Focus Features

Stop-motion animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 92 mins.

THE STORY:

Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a young teenager with what some would consider a gift, but to him is a curse: he sees dead people. Everywhere. His family just wants him to be 'normal.' Kids at school pick on him for being a weirdo. Except for Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), who has issues coming out of every orifice-- literally-- yet has learned to accept himself and his situation.

One day Norman is approached by the spirit of the town crazy man (John Goodman), who reveals that Norman is his heir in the task of appeasing the witch who comes back once a year to wreak havoc on the town. Norman tries to perform his duty, but things don't go as planned, and within no time the town is over-run by zombies.

Norman refuses to give up, and soon realizes that the witch is the spirit of a young girl executed in the time of the New England witch trials. Through listening and talking to her, Norman manages to convince her that her fury doesn't solve anything, and that inflicting senseless terror on others makes her no better than those who harmed her.  
  
QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• stupid
• fat
• dead/ die/ kill
• freaking
• hell

VIOLENCE:

• Zombies get shot through, but no human gore 

TEACHING POINTS:

• Being different is a blessing not a curse
• Hurting others who have hurt you does not erase your own hurt

THE UPSHOT:
The dialogue, themes and action were all a bit mature for the 5 year-old in the room. Best, I think, for those 9 and up. That said, there were no tears or nightmares, so it wasn't the disaster that some previous movie attempts were.

I like the themes presented-- the celebration of difference, the discouragement of bullying, the idea that revenge does not compensate for our own pain. And I think the format is such that kids can relate rather than feel preached at. 

The extras are all also very mature with nothing much to appeal to young 'uns, but the 'featurette' entitled "Making Norman" gives some interesting insight on how stop-motion works.

It wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be-- the curse of others' recommendations-- but it was worth watching. 

 3.5/5