Directed by Tim Burton Dumbo, like its young elephant, has a tough time getting going. The opening moments of the film, aside from a deliriously wonderful and very Tim Burton montage, are loaded with exposition, both in the text and subtext. It sets up characters with frustrating flaws if only because they're so transparent and eager … Continue reading Dumbo (2019)
Disney
Pete’s Dragon (2016)
Directed by David Lowery Pete's Dragon would seem to be an unlikely follow up to David Lowery's 2013 film Ain't Them Bodies Saints, not to mention an unlikely precursor to 2017's A Ghost Story. This is a straight up Disney fable, a big-budget movie about a CGI dragon while those other two are small, independent arthouse films … Continue reading Pete’s Dragon (2016)
The Incredibles (2004)
Directed by Brad Bird What year does The Incredibles take place? It doesn't much matter, but I'm curious about the world design. Old video footage of the "supers" heyday crackles with film grain, while the plot, taking place 15 years after our introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, looks to occur in the 1960s but with … Continue reading The Incredibles (2004)
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Directed by Rich Moore Wreck-It Ralph is playful little movie about a video game villain who wants to be the hero. It has all the familiar tropes and plot mechanics of every other kid's movie, with the character wanting something in the beginning that drives the story forward but which by the end he or … Continue reading Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
