Shmee.Me

November 28, 2013

Chill Out With Frozen!

Frozen is Walt Disney Animation Studio’s latest movie, and yet another princess movie from the company known for princess movies. Luckily for us they have gotten very good at making them because Frozen is excellent. The movie was written and directed by Jennifer Lee, and co-directed by Chris Buck.

The story is about two young princesses: Elsa (Idina Menzel) who has magical powers over ice and snow, and the other Anna (Kristen Bell) who is normal yet fun loving. The family tries to keep Elsa’s powers a secret, but she looses her control over them and encases the fictional Arendelle in magical winter. It is up to Anna and her friends to help Elsa and save Arendelle.

Jennifer Lee also wrote Wreck-It Ralph, and it shows. Despite the seriousness of the story it is incredibly goofy. Sven the reindeer, and Olaf(Josh Gad) the magical snowman provide most of the laughs, though all the characters get their slapstick moments, but they do in it a way that adds to movie. Judging by the trailers, I did not expect that to be the case.

The music is in this movie is wonderful, especially the numbers by Elsa, which is good because there are a lot of them. This is the most musical Disney movie in a long time, but I think that was smart. It brings Disney back to its roots, and if the movie house is going to bare Walt’s name, it should do that once and awhile.

The voice actors are all excellent, but the sisters really shine. Kristen Bell plays the wide eyed Anna perfectly, as a young girl that is excited to get out of the castle, but still determined to save her sister. Idina Menzel is great as the confused and conflicted Elsa who just wants the people she loves to be safe, and she is a wonderful singer! I wasn’t sure about the magical snowman going in, but Josh Gad brought him to life, and the movie would have been dull without him.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I really liked Frozen. Pixar is the studio people always expect make great movies, but lately Walt Disney Animation Studios has been making better ones. If you are looking for a family film to watch over the Thanksgiving weekend, look no further then Frozen.

November 27, 2013November 27, 2013

Free To Play Ruins Star Wars: Tiny Death Star!

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star is created by NimbleBit the same people that made the very successful Tiny Tower. It is published by Disney Mobile and Lucas Arts. It is out for pretty much every major platform, but I would advise against it.

The game starts off well with Emperor Palpatine telling Darth Vader his new plan to finance the Death Star by getting people to move in, pay rent, and buy stuff. It is very funny and it fills in one of the major plot holes of Star Wars: “How the heck could they pay for the Death Star?”

The writing is fantastic and funny. It pokes fun at Star Wars, but with more than a little love. It also has a great look, and characters from the Star Wars Universe have never been cuter. All of them are in this game with their own little cut scenes.

After that it quickly goes down hill. Like many RTS type games, you are in charge of planning out the apartments and stores for the people known as Bitzens, but the rates that these things build or restock is ridiculously slow unless you spend Imperial Bucks which of course can be paid for with real bucks. Also if you want things to run well you need to hire VIPs which again you can pay for will real money.

If they balanced this game well it would have been worth quite a few dollars, but in its current state it is unplayable unless you pay, and once you start paying there is no telling how much it will cost. With the Star Wars license, geeks like me would have paid for a good game, but to be nickel and dimed every three seconds is just too much. If they come out with well balanced flat fee game, I would recommend it, but not as it is.

November 25, 2013November 25, 2013

Figuring Out Cloud Atlas!

Cloud Atlas is a 2012 movie that was Produced, Written, and Directed by the Wachowski siblings and Tom Tykwer. It is based off of the 2004 novel of the same name. It is a very polarizing movie that ended up being on a lot of best and worst movie lists. I guess I am one of the rare viewers to fall in the middle.

The movie features six stories with the same actors playing different characters in each.

1849:

A young planation owner on his voyage back from the pacific islands.

1931:

A young man seeking his fame and fortune working with a famous composer in hopes to publish his own symphony.

1973:

A journalist investigates a new nuclear power plant.

2012:

A man is trapped in a nursing home.

2144:

The story of an arrested fabricated fast food worker.

2321:

In a future dystopian world the human race is struggling to survive.

All the stories work together in various ways. I will not give them away here considering that is part of the fun trying to figure out how they all fit together, but part of the problem is that not all of the stories are as interesting as each other, so you find yourself disappointed when it cuts to one of the lesser stories. But I would say four out of the six are very good.

The point of this movie is to track the changes of the human soul in different times and circumstances, and I am not sure that I got that out of it, but I did see a lot of humans overcoming horrible events. Which is interesting and at times gripping.

The cast is very good, but when you have Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant and many more that is to be expected. Tom Hanks recently said that this movie recharged him so that he could do Captain Phillips and Saving Mr. Banks, and it is one of the movies he is most proud of.

The special effects are for the most part very good with the main exception being some of the makeup. With people changing race and gender a few times some of the makeup can be a little dodgy, but it does help you figure out who’s who. The vistas of Neo Seoul and the far future as well as the sets from the past all look great.

This is one of those movies that I was not so sure about when I watched it, but as I think back on it, I like it more and more. At least the Wachowskis never do anything normal or boring. If you have time and are looking for something a bit different then Cloud Atlas might be it.

November 21, 2013

New Muppet Movie!

The new Muppet Movie: Muppets Most Wanted looks amazing! I am so happy that Disney brought back my felt friends. Next year is going to a lot of fun at the movies! The casting of Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, and Ricky Gervais looks brilliant, and it looks like it focuses more on the core Muppets this time around, so that is even better!

November 20, 2013

Spend Your Any Given Sunday Somewhere Else!

Any Given Sunday is a movie about Pro Football written by and directed by Oliver Stone in 1999. I had always heard this movie had great speeches by Al Pacino, so I thought since it was football season I would give it a shot. I wish that I hadn’t.

The movie follows the season of a fictional football team the Miami Sharks. They are members of the fictional Associated Football Franchises of America. The film in general follows Jamie Foxx as Willie Beaman as he tries to usurp legendary QB Jack “Cap” Rooney played by Dennis Quaid. Al Pacino plays the Hall of Fame coach Tony D’Amato trying to hold the team together while the team makes its way through this transition period. Oh yeah, Cameron Diaz plays the evil owner Christina Pagniacci who is trying to move the team to LA.

The problem with this movie is that all the people just play their stereotypes. They don’t really veer from them at all until the end when they change and everything is happy. You know, when they are supposed to: Jamie Foxx plays the young arrogant kid who lets fame get to his head; Dannis Quaid isn’t sure if he still has it; Cameron Diaz is all about the cash; and Al Pacino is the world weary coach who just wants to win one more time. You can guess their story lines from there, and it plays out almost exactly like you would imagine.

That being said, they do all fit their roles, they just don’t elevate them at all, and that could be because Oliver Stone doesn’t give them anything to work with. It is probably a combination of the two. If you are looking for a generic football movie then you have found it.

It also is super 90’s, but not in a cool retro way, but in an awful nonsensical way. Random flashes off pink colors. Everyone looks like they just fell out of a Boyz III Men video. It is hard to watch.

The only reason to watch this movie is for Al Pacino’s speeches. If he could give me a speech every morning I could rule the world. They are awesome, and it brings Al Pacino’s character to life, but sadly they take up like twenty minutes of this almost three hour long flick.

This movie falls flat, and it hasn’t aged well. I am sure Oliver Stone wanted to make a glorious exposé on America’s most popular sport, but it ends up being just another football flick with some decent action and a few great speeches. I would spend your Any Given Sunday watching something else.