10/23/08

Bob's Big Screen

Animated fun--or spooky classics of reanimation

by Bob Connally

his issue I take a look at an animated summer hit and some of the best Halloween movies ever made.

Kung Fu Panda

(PG, Avail. 11/4)

In recent years animated films have become increasingly more popular, more common, and more artistically satisfying. Pixar leads the way while several other animation studios are playing catch-up. With "Kung Fu Panda," DreamWorks doesn't attain a Pixar-like level of greatness, but they've produced a movie that's far more enjoyable than their usual fare.

In what appears to be ancient China, a young Panda named Po (voiced by Jack Black) dreams of being a kung fu master. In fact the opening scene is a hilarious dream sequence in which Po leads "the Furious Five" into battle against an army of thousands. He is an unstoppable force and the hero of a nation. Unfortunately, Po wakes up and must go to work for his father, who happens to be a goose, serving up noodles to hungry crowds. This is not where Po wants to be for the rest of his life and certainly not on this day. Today is the day that an age-old question will be answered when one of the Furious Five is chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy.

Po has a difficult time getting to the event but, upon stumbling in, he finds out he is, in fact, the chosen one. With no time to process this, Po must begin training with Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) to defeat the much feared Tai Lung (Ian McShane). The problem is, Shifu does not believe in the bumbling Po and wishes he would quit.

It's not difficult to discern how the rest of the film unfolds from here. "Kung Fu Panda" doesn't win any points for story originality but it's a lot of fun and Jack Black is clearly having a great time voicing Po. He brings an enthusiasm to the film that is infectious. His relationships with Shifu and the Furious Five are also well crafted. Typically in films such as this, he would end up gradually winning over all of them at the same rate. Here he wins over one or two at a time. It's a nice little touch that I wasn't expecting and, as we get to know the characters through the film, it makes sense.

"Kung Fu Panda" is a very enjoyable movie that really does have something to offer to children and adults. I could say it’s fun for the whole family, but I won’t, because it’s so cliché. Note I did not say, ‘“Kung Fu Panda’ is fun for the whole family.” But it is. 7/10.

Halloween Essentials: It’s Halloween night. You and your friends have decided to rent some horror films, except you forgot that, oh yeah, it’s already Halloween night. So you get to the video store and instead of your planned triple feature of “Night of the Living Dead,” “Evil Dead 2,” and the original “Halloween,” you’re left with “Leprechaun in the Hood” and “House II: The Second Story.” In a bid to save you from this fate, here (in chronological order) are some of my favorite Halloween films. Just don’t forget to pick these up before the day.

Dracula (1931): Many actors have portrayed the world’s most famous vampire, but Bela Lugosi remains the definitive Count.

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944): “It’s a Wonderful Life” director Frank Capra reveals a dark comic streak with this Halloween-set tale of two sweet old ladies who poison people. Cary Grant stars as their skittish nephew.

The Wicker Man (1973): The story of an upright British detective (Edward Woodward) and his investigation into the disappearance of a young girl features one of the most chilling endings in all of cinema. Also stars horror legend Christopher Lee.

Young Frankenstein (1974): Easily my favorite Mel Brooks film, this comic twist on the classic story is as inventive and funny as comedies come. From top to bottom it is perfectly cast, and the script by Brooks and Gene Wilder (who plays “Froe-derick Fronckensteen”) is as sharp as a tack.

Dawn of the Dead (1978): My absolute favorite horror film. George Romero’s followup to “Night of the Living Dead” is superior in every respect as he moves the zombie action out of the cabin and into the mall. The writer-director’s statement about mindless consumerism is not exactly subtle, but it most definitely works. “Dawn” is not scary in a traditional horror sense, and it isn’t meant to be. It’s the thought of how you would handle this situation that gets you. And I promise you’ll be humming “The Gonk” for days afterward.

Army of Darkness (1993): Sam Raimi caps off his “Evil Dead” trilogy by taking Ash (movie geek folk hero Bruce Campbell) out of the Michigan woods and sending him back to medieval England. Filled with quotable lines – “Gimme some sugar, baby,” and “This... is my boomstick!” being perennial favorites – hilarious battle sequences and a brilliant comic performance by Campbell, “Army of Darkness” is a blast any time of year.

Shaun of the Dead (2004): As regular readers already know, I am an enormous fan of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost. This British “rom zom com” works, not only as a satire of genre conventions, it’s also top notch as a zombie movie, a buddy film, and a romantic comedy. “You’ve got red on you.”

Also Coming to DVD

10/28

Tinker Bell (G)

Journey to the Center of the Earth (PG)

Kit Kittredge – An American Girl (G)

102 Minutes That Changed America (NR)

Newsradio: The Complete Series

11/4

Futurama: Bender’s Game

Get Smart (PG-13)

Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection (Blu-Ray)

Batman – The Complete Animated Series

A Christmas Story (Blu-Ray)