Add a few more reviews to my previous post. Again they are mixed.
2719 Hyperion: I ended up truly loving the movie. It surprised me on a level that was
wholly and totally unexpected, with a heartfelt finish that reminded me
of what Pixar accomplishes so well in just about all of their films.
Yet it is not difficult to understand that in our popular culture that
has become increasingly cynical and jaded, and fueled constantly by
internet negativity, that many critics and like-minded viewers would
reject the Robinsons’ positive and idealistic message.
Film Ick: The very first shot was simply breathtaking – a street lit by sodium lamps in the heavy rain. The shot would have been striking in 2D but with the added depth, the cascading fields of rain, it was – and I’m being utterly sincere – one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced in the cinema.
Mouse Extra: The story is certainly not a bad one. An orphan boy-genius inventor
goes to the future and discovers what his life will become, while a
villain with a personal grudge tries to change the hero’s life by
altering history. It’s a simple story that has promise, but it buckles
under the weight of maddening movie ineptness. I can’t count how many
times during the film I turned to my wife and asked her if the scene we
just watched was supposed to be funny. She didn’t know, and neither
did the theater fill of children who never laughed once during the
whole movie.
Being a big Disney fan, it was oblicatory for me to see it. But you know the film is in trouble when you find yourself sighing several times during the movie due to the inept writing. An added hint is when there’s “jokes” galore and nobody in the theater is laughing.
First off, the main character is an orphan inventor. IOWs, THE prototypical Disney animated film character. Folks, let’s call a moritorium on orphans and inventors for the next 10 years in Disney films. Then maybe such characters would have a little more freshness.
In order to make said character sympathetic, they have him be unable to get adopted. Why? Because he does things like shooting peanut butter at prospective parents. Gee, now I feel really sorry for the little brat. NOT.
The second act is frenetic and yet does very little to move the story along. I entertained myself by counting how many ideas had been “borrowed” from other films. I have to admit that Disney writers have made some progress along these lines, as they are no longer stealing wholesale from Japanese anime. Now they are sticking to old movie archives. Let’s see, Wizard of Oz, Robots, Addams Family, Galaxy Quest, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Simon, The Incredibles, South Park,Back to the Future I,II,III. Well you get the idea.
What’s really annoying about this is that the 3rd act was really quite good and the movie as a whole had potential. Unfortunately, this had the same feel as many previous studio bombs. You know, the ones that got 2d animation canceled. Whoever this is due to should be found and permanently removed from the studio creative process.
All except the person who did the Goth girl joke. That person should stay.
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