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Greetings, readers!
There is a deleted scene from “Parent Trap” that is making the rounds. Apparently Hallie, one of the twins, meets the queen in front of Buckingham Palace.
I personally am just as glad that they left the scene out, since it does not actually add anything to the plot. However, there is one minor detail of the scene I appreciated- they used Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Procession of the Nobles, from Mlada” as the procession music for the queen.
I do not have more to say about that. So I will close with wishing you a happy week.
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Hiya, Fluffsters!
So, I’m writing this post, which will be published tomorrow from my perspective, having just gotten back from seeing Guardians of the Galaxy in 3D.
First of all, let me say that I enjoyed it. A lot. The characters were fun, some were totally adorable, and one of them was even fluffy, thus qualifying it for a post. 🙂
Next, a couple of crits. The plot was a little slow or boring at first. (This is kinda similar to Avengers, though, so it’s not too surprising.) It’s not until you have a “Major Moment Scene” about an hour into the two-hour-long movie that you really seem to have cohesion of the group. It’s not until a few scenes after that when things get really interesting. But it ended really well, and I’m looking forward to sequels.
Also, plain 3D was maybe not the best. I normally love 3D movies- it was much to my disappointment that I was not able to see How To Train Your Dragon 2 or Frozen in 3D in Theaters. And 3D really helped bring added depth to the various Hobbit movies (which, alas, was kinda needed…) But for Guardians of the Galaxy, (it could be because I just got new glasses,) there seemed to be something a little too distracting about the 3D style. The visual effects were fun, but they distracted from the story. I’m not sure how much better 2D or IMAX 3D would have been. But there was something a little off from my perspective.
Finally, some final comments: The technology presented in the movie was fun to think about, and seemed realistic. Even better, there were no obvious plot inconsistencies that stood out to me. (Unlike Tangled, for example…) And the characters were fun. Each one had his or her own different personality, and there was enough verbal sparring going on to make it amusing in places.
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Hello, Fluffsters!
Happy Monday! Guess what? It’s Christmas Week!
Anywho. So yesterday, for my Christmas present, my sister took me to see Disney’s Frozen. So, (SPOILER ALERT!) here’s a:
Review: Disney’s Frozen.
First of all, I loved it. I found it significantly better than Disney’s Tangled; it was amazing. Especially as I was watching it with my sister. Which brings me to the first part of the review:
Basic Summary
This is very loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s Snow Queen. Very loosely. Very. As in, it had a couple of elements, such as slivers of “something” entering one of the main character’s heart, and there being a queen of the snow & ice and stuff. And it’s based in roughly the right location.
The basic premise is that there are two princess sisters. The older one (Elsa) has a power to control and create snow and ice. Way towards the beginning, she accidentally hurts her little sister (Anna). This shapes the entire rest of the movie. Anna’s memories of Elsa’s powers are removed, and Elsa needs to try to control her powers, in order to not hurt people. This basically means that Elsa blocks Anna out, in order to protect her.
Fast-forward a few years. The parents die. (It’s Disney- what did you expect?) Fast-forward a few more years. Elsa is of age, and is to be crowned queen. It’s an eventful day for her. Not only is she coronated, but she also actually talks with her sister, “interacts” with people, and accidentally unleashes a big winter storm over her land, mid-summer.
Woops.
Yup. And she runs away.
The rest of the movie goes on from there, as Anna goes to find Elsa, and hopefully “bring back summer.”
It’s a very character and situation driven story, as opposed to plot. The plot itself is very simple, but the situation gives tension, and the characters give depth to the “plot.”
The methods Disney used to bring the depth and tension, though, are amazing.
Sound & Visual
Ok. So as I’m sure you’re aware, Disney got an excellent acting cast, including Idina Menzel (Elphaba from Wicked) as Elsa. Disney also made stunning graphics and sound effects / music.
Seriously.
The opening songs and sounds are fantastic. It starts with Scandinavian choral music. Then it goes to a song from ice-cutters about nothing more dangerous than “a frozen heart.” The sounds is beautifully open, somewhat minor, and very folksongish. This, of course, sets the context for Elsa’s powers. “Beauty and Danger” are found in ice, and, again, nothing is more dangerous.
The opening scene also lays the expectations for the animation. It is beautiful. The artists truly captured the treacherous beauty of ice. This shows up throughout the entire movie. The ice reflects, it looks cold, and (even in 2D), it has so much depth and detail. Seriously, it is stunning.
The opening scene was great. It wasn’t the best of the movie, though.
The songs keep going on. So much character depth is given through the songs. Anna’s loneliness and Elsa’s fear and trapped feeling all shine through with the music. The two princesses have a couple of duets, which are very wonderfully orchestrated. (The background is full, and the harmonies the two girls form is gorgeous.)
The most iconic scene, and the one that actually truly got me interested in the movie, is one that Disney itself released to YouTube. (I personally think this was brilliant marketing on their part- it did get me and my sister into the theater…) This scene comes shortly after Elsa accidentally loses control and reveals her powers to the world, and therefore runs off. This is one of the most beautiful scenes in the movie, both visually and musically.
Wait… Did the lyrics actually just include a reference to fractals?
Yup. Isn’t it amazing? It, like, actually treats the audience as intelligent!
In case you couldn’t figure it out, that’s one of my absolute favorite scenes. Ever. Seriously, I have watched that scene way too many times.
Ah. So you’re saying that this song, well, you can’t “let it go?”
…Very funny.
The Foley artists in that are also amazing to, don’t you think? The snow sounds like its freezing as Elsa creates it. The palace audibly shimmers. And aren’t those graphics stunning? I totally want to visit that palace.
In all, I was very satisfied with the movie. I went into the theater expecting to like a scene from the movie- the one I found on YouTube. Instead, I was drawn in from the very beginning. Disney captures a true sister relationship amazingly, and presents a wonderfully compelling story. Both my sister and I were impressed by the movie.
Personally, and I know I’m going to ruffle some feathers with this one, I think it was unequivocally better than Tangled. The characters were believable, the sister interactions were so good, the graphics and setting were beautiful, and the music was fantastic. I think I would probably give this a full five-star review for a kids movie. (It wasn’t “OMG THE BEST MOVIE EVA!!1!”, but it was really good.)
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Greetings, Readers! I bid you a joyous weekend!
Since there’s not much else for me to do, I’ve been exploring my new world (what you call the internet) again.
I ended up at my dear friend YouTube’s place, and came across a lovely gem.
It’s a surprisingly creepy deleted scene from Disney’s Lion King. There are several aspects of it that I like.
1) It includes extra information for why Nala left her family. Why would she leave the pridelands to seek probably nonexistent help, instead of just fighting against the tyranny? This scene explains that.
2) It ties The Lion King in with the Hamlet tradition even more strongly. There are some differences, of course, but I’ll let you watch the deleted scene before analyzing it further.
Isn’t that interesting?
Now, a bit of further analysis on the Hamlet tradition. Did you catch the line in there that was very close to “kill a king and marry his brother”? I concede, it’s a bit of a stretch. The line was actually “it’s like any other to murder a brother…” and then I missed the next several words. Given that Lion King is just Hamlet with Lions, though, I am seeing references even when they might not exist.
Another way in that the scene differs from traditional Hamlet: Scar should be more interested in Sarabi than Nala. I’m guessing that there would have been more of a problem with plot if Scar were, in fact, interested in Sarabi though.
But that deleted scene adds an interesting aspect, doesn’t it?
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Hello, Fluffsters!
Yesterday, I saw one of the more amusingly epic things that I’ve seen in a while.
Oh no. Please tell me there’s not something that’s rivaling the fox song…
Oh, no. This isn’t a music video- it’s a trailer.
A… trailer? That’s what you’re excited about right now?
Well, you see, it’s not just a trailer. It’s a trailer of a movie that’s already been made, and that’s already a comedic classic. I’m talking, of course, about the Monty Python and the Holy Grail Modern Trailer that came out last Tuesday. (September 10.)
That actually doesn’t look to bad. Are you sure it’s a funny trailer?
Absolutely. The trailer is so serious, and for a movie that’s extremely ridiculous.
…The movie isn’t a serious movie?
Monty Python? Oh my, no. That’s the movie that brings you such lines as “Help, help, I’m being repressed!” and “Are you suggesting that coconuts migrate?” Trust me, it’s one of the sillier popular motion pictures around. In fact, with it being so silly, I’m very impressed with…
Ways the ‘modern trailer’ made Monty Python and the Holy Grail look like a serious movie…
1) The opening music. The combination of chorale and open-sounding percussion makes the tone a compelling adventure type sound.
2) The drum interjections. Throughout the course of the trailer, an emphatic beat comes in to emphasize “drama!” Since there are a few scenes in the movie that look dramatic, whoever made this trailer was able to take those, and emphasize the “Hey, this move looks awesome!” factor and make it appear that the entire movie is like that.
3) Other musical interjections. About thirty seconds in, there’s a rumbly-grindy-modern-y sounding noise reminiscent of rocks tumbling. This sound against the backdrop of a castle gives the impression that there will be epic sieges, possibly including tumbling castles.
3) The “subtitles”. “In a Kingdom of Despair…” some hovering text reads… This is remarkably similar to movie trailers like the one for “Master and Commander…” again, a dramatic serious film. Also, when you label something “kingdom of despair” and have dark music playing, people are going to believe that you mean it. Not that there are peasants who are basically Marxists, and provide a marvelous commentary on politics.
4) The out-of-context epicness. “There is a pestilence upon this land! Nothing is sacred!” “What is your name? And what is your quest?” and “I seek the finest and the bravest knights in the land to join me in my court at Camelot” all sound fantastic… outside of the movie. In the movie, those are actually usually followed by a fair bit of laughter from the audience. Similarly with all the sword fights.
All of those things combine to make a marvelous trailer that, while technically true, is so misleading it is hilarious. I highly recommend this trailer.
