Big Hero 6- *slight spoilers*

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. All images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise. I do not claim ownership of this material.

With Big Hero 6, it really is a case of weighing up the great elements with the not-so-great elements -whilst Disney’s superhero themed hit is far from perfect, on the whole the film’s weaknesses are overridden by its many strengths. 

For example, it has been argued that Gogo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Fred, four of the five members of the superhero team ‘Big Hero 6’ are all severely lacking in development and to a certain extent this is true. They are all pretty one note, with one defining character trait and they do not really develop or change much over the course of the film, as there really isn’t enough screen time given to them, compared to the film’s true protagonists, Hiro and Baymax. Really and truly, a good film should give development to all of its characters, especially if the focus of the plot is the team that they form and this does mean that the ‘superhero’ parts of the film are its least entertaining segments, which could be seen by some as a major problem.

On the other hand, this does mean that a lot of time can be spent fleshing out the character of Hiro, (who is a fantastic lead, wonderfully played by Ryan Potter), as well as building up his heart-warming relationship with Baymax, which, along with the lovable healthcare companion himself,  is the film’s greatest strength. The friendship between these two characters is so well-done and it is also helped by how lovable Baymax is- from his cuddly design to his best comedic moments, he is one of the greatest Disney characters of recent years. Another one of the films major strengths is one that is unfortunately rare in animation due to its traditionally younger audience and that is its ability to effectively show mature themes without talking down to or patronizing its audience, showing that when making an animated film you don’t have to treat the audience like it is entirely made up of children. A final overriding factor that allows ‘Big Hero 6’ shine is the animation, which looks spectacular, especially on the big screen.

The only other negative that I would add is the reveal of the villain. Whilst a Frozen-style twist is attempted (for the third Disney film in a row!), this time they attempt to throw a massive, awkwardly-placed red herring in the audience’s face, which just ends up feeling incredibly clumsy. Having said this, I do like that there are interesting parallels between the protagonist and the character who is eventually revealed to be the villain- in fact, they explore the idea of the hero almost becoming a villain effectively but subtly, which does work really well.

Overall, in spite of some issues with characterization, Big Hero 6 is well animated and entertaining film, which deserves all of the praise it is currently getting. 

Saving Mr Banks

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. All images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise. I do not claim ownership of this material.

If this film were to be summarized in one word, it would be this: charming. It is as sweet as the above trailer would suggest, partially due to the storyline, which initially revolves around the tense interactions between P.L Travers and Walt Disney during the initial development stages of Mary Poppins.

The clashing characters are played fantastically by Tom Hanks, who plays a slightly creepy but generally likable Walt Disney and Emma Thompson, who does a fantastic job as a stern P.L Travers. The supporting cast, including B.J Novak and Jason Schwartzman as the Sherman Brothers and Colin Farrell as P.L Traver’s father, also do a pretty good job.

In addition to this, the bright pastel colours of L.A contrast brilliantly with the dull, drab and grey world of P.L Travers and this is helped by the use of setting and costume to really help the audience understand the differences between the two clashing personalities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The aforementioned sweetness of the film’s present is then balanced out by the heart-breaking story of P.L Traver’s past, which is cleverly interwoven through brilliantly edited flashbacks and is again quite well-acted. Another great thing about the film is the way in which both the songs and actual footage of the original film are used. There is a particular scene involving the song ‘Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’ which exemplifies both these elements, as essentially two scenes are shown and they reflect on each other brilliantly. Other than these elements, everything else about the film is generally average- there isn’t much else to say, other than that it is a sweet and clever film with good performances and some very well done editing, as well as lots of clever storytelling.  

The Book Thief

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. All images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise. I do not claim ownership of this material.

It is an obvious fact that historical dramas relating to the Holocaust and Nazi Germany will always leave a high emotional impact on the audience- but this movie takes it to a whole new level. It takes a few minutes to even process what you have witnessed, mostly due to the shocking swerve of an ending, which I frustratingly cannot write too much about.

The primary element that truly makes The Book Thief, at least in the first half, is the way in which it is able to show the horrors of Nazism, whilst still having an air of hope about it. This is also helped by beautiful cinematography, which really emphasizes the strength of the story being told, combined with the realism added by both the actor’s performances and the addition of German accents, which have irritatingly been left out of several other films on the same subject. The emotional impact of the film is also helped by the ominous narrator, Roger Allem as Death itself, who sounds inappropriately cheesy at first- however, this works to its advantage later on, as he is saying the most horrific lines, all with a voice you would normally expect to hear in something aimed at younger audiences, creating an often eerie contrast between the lines being said and the voice saying them.

In the last 20 minutes, the film becomes decidedly less hopeful, to the extent that the key theme of hope it tries to portray is lost slightly, but this is outweighed by the overall impact that the ending leaves on the audience, which is once again upon the strength of the story.

Although the film is set within the midst of the Nazi Regime, the subtle portrayal of the way in which they took hold of Germany is also very clever, especially in earlier scenes, as you can see Nazi influences, for example swastikas, in slowly creeping into the background- you almost don’t notice that these influences increase, until they have almost taken over the film itself.

Overall, The Book Thief is a well-made and emotive film, with wonderful cinematography and an even more wonderful story, which is well worth a watch- just make sure you bring some tissues…

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. All images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise. I do not claim ownership of this material.

This beautiful and intense drama generally slipped under the radar in 2013, but it is still a fantastic film. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints focuses on an outlaw from Texas who breaks out of jail and attempts to find his wife and their child, whom he has never met- this strong and emotional story is just part of what holds the overall piece together.

In addition to this the way in which it is told, through a dual narrative structure, continually keeps the audience’s interest. The story is also skilfully told through imaginative editing and great acting from all of the cast. The only problem with the film’s acting is that some of the actors, especially lead actress Rooney Mara, mumble quite a bit, which can make certain scenes are confusing- however, the plot and editing are still strong enough to generally override this problem.

Another element that stands out about this film is the stunning cinematography, which adds brilliantly to the film’s overall atmosphere and reflects perfectly on the beauty of the story being told, which is as well as being emotionally powerful is generally exciting, with lots of twists and turns.

Although the film sometimes can be predictable, the way in which certain scenes are built up to still cause enough emotional impact to be effective and the end is certainly still a surprise. Although it could be argued that the film’s final scenes occur too quickly, resulting in an all-too abrupt conclusion, the way in which it is edited still makes for a satisfying conclusion to a tragically underrated film.