Is anybody else just sick of Ice Age?

[beaker]

That was pretty good too. I enjoyed it. They stuck SOOOO many bloody NBC promos in the back (not of any of the shows, thankfully, but Gru did steal the jumbotron from Times Square and it of COURSE had the NBC logo on it) and had a lot of NBC/Universal movie and TV stars as the voice cast... but it was a pretty solid movie. Not as good as Megamind, but it was a nice little super villain/Mad scientist movie... I LOOOOVE Mad science. I just wish that they had Despicable merchandise... I love the little yellow "minions" and wish I coulda got one with fries and a burger, instead of in a crane machine.

I think that was some sort of experiment in trying to make CGI look more cartoonish and rubbery. They got it better the second time around and ever since, rather than the stiffness and uncanny valley of Shrek. I love those Penguins though... aside from the Muppets and the Penguin's army in Batman Returns, they're my favorite film penguins. Even Robin William's Happy feet characters don't come close and I'm a big fan of the guy's work.... Rico's definately my favorite of the bunch. There was just something that I dug about Madagascar that even mystifies me. It didn't seem as smug and self indulgent as Shrek or Shark Tale. Plus, I like Ben Stiller and Chris Rock.

I liked Happy Feet 1 for some reason. Maybe it was the bizarre meta ending where the penguin ends up in...well I wont give it away. But its a trip and totally unexpected.

Happy Feet 2 has gotten dismal reviews. What did you think of Surfs Up? The characters, including the penguins, in Madagascar are just too darn fun to dislike.
Sadly, I cannot make it through any Shrek movie at all. I dont know if its the pastel colors, the vibe, I dont know. I never liked medievel stuff cept the LOTR films and Willow.

Ok so off topic, but I saw Hugo tonight in 3d. It was better than city of embers, but it was so painfully boring for long stretches and kind of goes nowhere. I will say it has the BEST 3d of any live action film ive ever seen next to tron legacy. I was shocked at how amazing the 3d was. Also it has some really visionary scenes in parts, almost reminded me of parts from Tarsem Singh's The Fall. But ultimately it kind of bored me. But it wasnt an insult to intelligence like some of these sappy kids movies are.

 

[Drtooth]

Happy Feet 2 has gotten dismal reviews. What did you think of Surfs Up? The characters, including the penguins, in Madagascar are just too darn fun to dislike.
Sadly, I cannot make it through any Shrek movie at all. I dont know if its the pastel colors, the vibe, I dont know. I never liked medievel stuff cept the LOTR films and Willow.

Not now or will I ever see Surf's Up. The only actual animated movie released by Sony I'm going to see in the near future is that stop motion Pirates movie I saw a trailer for before the Muppets. I did grab a Surf's Up penguin figure from a McD's after a kid left one and didn't come back or even bother with it. Yeah, I dig the Shrek films, but I can't say I love the look. I'm more of a fan of how Monsters VS Aliens and The Incredibles stylized humans. I really love the look of Up, especially the square Carl... I don't like uber-realism. I got to admit, I complain about it all the time, but I like some of the look of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (though some of the characters look like... well, can't say it here). I despise motion capture, but I wanna give TinTin a look.

Hugo definitely has a look for it, and it's probably pretty good. But I just could tell audiences couldn't bite. Sure, it could work for older kids, but the younger ones seem like they'd get bored. And I did like Marty's story behind the film. Seems like it could be a future cult film. Stuff like the Smurfs and Chimpunks appeal to younger kids, and I can kinda see that. All I really liked about the first Chipmunks movie was the commentary on the recording industry and David Cross's portrayal of that.

I do NOT wanna see another Ice Age, though. I gave it 3, and that's my limit. Buck was the only thing remotely interesting about the third. I missed the Christmas special, but have no plans to buy the DVD. On TV for free, yes... 15 bucks, no!

 

[D'Snowth]

I really don't want to see Happy Feet Two either... I mean, I didn't really care for the first one myself... it was alright, I KINDA liked it, but it's not a movie I'd want to watch all the time... but seriously, the only thing they could possibly do with a sequel is give Mumble and Gloria babies, which they obviously did, I can do without seeing that old cliche again... not to mention the forced Sofia Vergara voice cameo in the movie, when she really has no actual talent whatsoever, that huge rack of hers is the only reason she's actually famous. Surf's Up was clearly like a Happy Feet knock-off in so many ways, yet it's like neither of the film's production staff knew of the existence of the other, so... but the rooster character in that movie looked a LOT like T.R. Rooster, and the T.R. stands for Terrible Rubbish.

My personal opinion on Shrek on the other hand, they were all good, but each of the movies was good for different reasons: the first was good character study, the second one had the best storyflow, the third was good only if you're looking for a laugh fest, and fourth was good because we knew that meant there WEREN'T going to be like six Shrek movies after all. Shrek 2 is my favorite out of all of them. Still haen't seen Puss's spin-off prequel yet, but i'M INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW IT'LL TURN OUT.

 

[robodog]

Now, see I like the Shrek movies. I don't really know why but I do. I remember collecting the glasses McDonald's had for 3. I still have them packed away somewhere.

I'm curious. What exactly is Hugo even about?

 

[beaker]

Not now or will I ever see Surf's Up. The only actual animated movie released by Sony I'm going to see in the near future is that stop motion Pirates movie I saw a trailer for before the Muppets. I did grab a Surf's Up penguin figure from a McD's after a kid left one and didn't come back or even bother with it. Yeah, I dig the Shrek films, but I can't say I love the look. I'm more of a fan of how Monsters VS Aliens and The Incredibles stylized humans. I really love the look of Up, especially the square Carl... I don't like uber-realism. I got to admit, I complain about it all the time, but I like some of the look of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (though some of the characters look like... well, can't say it here). I despise motion capture, but I wanna give TinTin a look.

Hugo definitely has a look for it, and it's probably pretty good. But I just could tell audiences couldn't bite. Sure, it could work for older kids, but the younger ones seem like they'd get bored. And I did like Marty's story behind the film. Seems like it could be a future cult film. Stuff like the Smurfs and Chimpunks appeal to younger kids, and I can kinda see that. All I really liked about the first Chipmunks movie was the commentary on the recording industry and David Cross's portrayal of that.

I do NOT wanna see another Ice Age, though. I gave it 3, and that's my limit. Buck was the only thing remotely interesting about the third. I missed the Christmas special, but have no plans to buy the DVD. On TV for free, yes... 15 bucks, no!

I thought Surf's Up was colorful and fun. Its actually more "fun" than Happy Feet. My reasoning for liking Happy Feet was Robin Williams, and seeing the first ever non documentary penguin movie. But I didnt think it needed a sequel...again, the ending and how it turns into live action leaves one satisfied. Man, I cannot say enough good things about Up. I sadly wonder if it will be the last Pixar film I love for some time.
I was bored to tears with Wall E. Loved Rattatouie tho. Up is the best thing Ive ever seen cgi. But Cars 2? Brave? mmm...yeah Im not sure. But claymation is looking so slick now, that it might as well be cgi.

The coloring in Cloudy put me off, so I didnt see it. But man, I was a huge fan of the book as a kid. Wish they had made a simple PBS styled animation for it. I like a lot of those morning kids traditional 2d shows on PBS. Mocap can seem uncanny valley creepy. But yeah Tin Tin looks adventurous.

Hugo has some great concepts, some near visionary scenes...but overall it bored me. Again it was the insane cgi that kept me from walking out. Most 3d live action do not actually feel truly 3d like this did

I WILL say this...Im a HUGE fan of all NBC Dreamworks specials. LOVED the Madagascar xmas and MvA halloween one

 

[Drtooth]

Everyone on the board knows this, but the fact I was really close to the book just put me off the movie for so many reasons. I mean, that's such a delightfully dreamlike book about kids sitting down to hear a tall tale from Grampa... and the fact they have to explain an unexplained phenomenon that's in a tall tale just made me hate the thing. It's so loud, CGI frantic... that's the polar opposite of the book.

I think I'm really going to enjoy Brave. I like the Celtic angle... that's something that hasn't been milked to death (except on PBS when they have Celtic singers sing NOT traditional Irish songs). I do not see much of a toy line coming out of it. The princess in the movie isn't a glamor-puss... I don't see little girls wanting to buy her doll and attempting to comb her firzzy hair. But it is a nice change of pace for Pixar... it isn't the same cute thing learns a life lesson. Kinda like Up wasn't. Cars is for 4-10 year old boys.

I gotta admit, I'm kinda looking forward to Wreck it Ralph, but I just want Monsters University to come faster... I've always loved Monsters Inc. Love the Sesame Street inspired character designs and seeing Frank Oz do a voice of one of them...

 

[D'Snowth]

Brave looks good, but I can't helpt but wonder if it's perhaps, in some small way, Pixar's way of trying to create their own How to Train Your Dragon... I mean that's the first thing that raced through my mind as the trailer first started playing when I saw the new Muppet movie last night.

I have to admit, even this anime version of The Borrowers looks like it may be good, and I'm not usually like one of those obsessively compulsively obsessive anime nuts like eight out of every ten girls I've ever known in my life are.

 

[beaker]

I do not see much of a toy line coming out of it. The princess in the movie isn't a glamor-puss... I don't see little girls wanting to buy her doll and attempting to comb her firzzy hair. But it is a nice change of pace for Pixar...

Are you kidding? The main character looks like something Disney will aggressively market in merch form and girls will want to emulate. I mean she's white and fair skin, thats always a cash boom for Disney.

Brave looks good, but I can't helpt but wonder if it's perhaps, in some small way, Pixar's way of trying to create their own How to Train Your Dragon... I mean that's the first thing that raced through my mind as the trailer first started playing when I saw the new Muppet movie last night.

I have to admit, even this anime version of The Borrowers looks like it may be good, and I'm not usually like one of those obsessively compulsively obsessive anime nuts like eight out of every ten girls I've ever known in my life are.

Isn't it Miyazaki? Miyazaki is someone everyone can love, even those who dont like anime. I used to be more into Japanese animation(ok reallly into it), not so much anymore. But like Sitoshi Kons work, he truly trancends the medium

 

[D'Snowth]

Another reason I don't like the Ice Age sequel? Two words: John Powell.

For me, a good score can make or break a movie... the first Ice Age was a quirky movie, and it got a quirky score from the genius that is David Newman; the other Ice Ages movies were also meant to be quirky, but instead of getting a quirky Newman score,they instead got this really symphonic, cinematic score from John Powell, which kind of ruined the mood of the movies, and madethem seem a little more dramatic than they needed to be.

 

[Drtooth]

I have to admit, even this anime version of The Borrowers looks like it may be good, and I'm not usually like one of those obsessively compulsively obsessive anime nuts like eight out of every ten girls I've ever known in my life are.

Anime fan girls RUINED anime. This is coming from someone who hangs out with 1980's nerd stereotypes that watch anime videos in the community room of a hole Foods. They don't watch any of the good stuff, and the good stuff they do watch they completely ruin... they sucked ALL the satire out of Axis Power Hetalia.

Isn't it Miyazaki? Miyazaki is someone everyone can love, even those who dont like anime. I used to be more into Japanese animation(ok reallly into it), not so much anymore. But like Sitoshi Kons work, he truly trancends the medium

Satashi Kon was taken from the world way too soon. He was equal parts mad scientist and crazy artist and he gave us some of the best films I've ever seen. Why, take the same script and film it in live action, you got an art film. His characters actually LOOK Japanese (I never understood why so many "Japanese" characters in anime look Caucasian)... and not pretty boys either. His death was a travesty to the human race. His delightfully mad mind had so much more to create. Miyazaki's stuff is always excellent too. I'd love to see it, but I bet I'm going to miss the week and a half it's actually in theaters like ALL the Disney release Miyazaki films.

Are you kidding? The main character looks like something Disney will aggressively market in merch form and girls will want to emulate. I mean she's white and fair skin, thats always a cash boom for Disney.

Yeah, but she's not a supposed teenage princess with (how shall I put this) a righteous rack.... of clothes. It really seems to be their art film (and they've been working on it before How to Train Your Dragon, BTW). I don't see much of a toyline coming out of characters like this:

Not very cute and cuddly in plush form... though I saw some TY bean bags of Tintin and Captain Haddock... Snowy, yes... but Haddock...

Above all, I just dig the fact Pixar's doing another all human movie again. Robots, Cars, Toys, Bugs, Fish... that's all well and good... but other than Up, Ratatouille (even though it stars rats), and Incredibles, you rarely see a Pixar film that focus so much on actual human characters. Maybe there could be some action figures... but then again, action figure companies flip a smoo when a show or movie has a female star of the cast. That's why Symbiotic Titan was cancelled... no one wanted to make a boy's toy line with a girl in it.