[Review] The Peanuts Movie
In case you were unaware, we're in the midst of an animation renaissance. While the bulk of the new animation landscape is predicated by TV shows like Bob's Burgers, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and more, animated films have found steady crossover success with films like The LEGO Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and the standard fare from Studio Ghibli and Pixar. The success of such properties has been a mix of great writing, memorable characters, and the creators' penchant to adapt new trends in modern humor to make them feel more timely.
The Peanuts Movie, however, follows the classic standard established by creator Charles M. Schulz more than 65 years ago, with everything ranging from the Red Baron, Joe Cool, Lucy's psychiatric help, and more, without having to rely on pop-culture references, one-liners, and hyperactive quick cuts. What results is a brand new Peanuts story that feels just as timeless as every time Charlie Brown missed the football.
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The Peanuts Movie
Director: Steve Martino
Rating: G
Release Date: November 6, 2015
Charlie Brown (Noah Schnapp) is well-liked by his peers, despite not being very good at... anything. His chance for a clean slate is presented, however, with a new kid moving into town - the Little Red-Haired Girl (Francesca Capaldi). All of his initial attempts to talk to her end up in typical Charlie Brown fashion; however, he suddenly finds some luck that results in him becoming the most popular kid at school. Meanwhile, his pet dog Snoopy (Bill Melendez) embarks on dog fights against his long-time arch-nemesis, the Red Baron, in his quest to rescue his love interest, Fifi (Kristin Chenoweth).
The biggest strength of The Peanuts Movie is its simple plot. So often, many franchise reboots/remakes try too hard to add unnecessary exposition or complicated stories in misguided attempts to "modernize" them for contemporary audiences. The Peanuts Movie, however, relies on the simplicity that made Peanuts so timeless. While the audience at my screening were mostly quiet, I did find myself chuckling more than my peers as Peanuts staples found their way subtly worked into the plot.
The animation style also stayed true to the characters' 2D images, albeit modernized into a faux-3D style. It was fun to see little things like Pig-Pen's dust cloud, Charlie Brown's iconic single hair, and their simple, yet fun facial expressions. The style is similar to South Park's cardboard cutout-style of animation that truly benefits when the characters are on a flat plane, but don't look that awkward when they have to interact in 3D.
The Peanuts Movie is an ode to Schulz and his long-lasting franchise. You can tell that the crew for the film, from producer Paul Feig to director Steve Martino, truly love and appreciate Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Linus, and the entire Peanuts crew. The Peanuts Movie will be a great addition to the Peanuts animated canon alongside A Charlie Brown Christmas and the other Charlie Brown specials.
The Simpsons Renewed for Two More Seasons
It's been awhile since I've actively watched The Simpsons, a product of growing increasingly busy, disinterest in actual TV, and the dwindling level of quality that's been unfortunately associated with the show in recent years. Nevertheless, The Simpsons is a cultural staple, and while its run is slowly winding down, to think of a generation of TV without The Simpsons is near unfathomable.
The inevitable has been delayed a few more years as Fox has renewed The Simpsons for two more seasons, with the run ending at 28 seasons and 625 episodes. /Film points out that the series will be just shy of breaking Gunsmoke's record of longest running scripted prime-time TV episodes at 635, so there's incentive for Fox and The Simpsons to press on past this new order.
Whether you quote The Simpsons everyday or can't tell the difference between Patty and Selma, it's hard to ignore the significance The Simpsons has had on Americana over the past four decades. Whether it can sustain enough energy or momentum to carry it into 2020 will have to be seen in time. One thing's clear: we need more official Simpsons mash-ups.
[via /Film]
[Short Film] The Duet from Disney Animator Glen Keane
Animation might just be one of the most beautiful utilizations of art in existence. The ability to watch someone's imagination dance across a screen is an act that has always amazed me. Like most other children, I had a particular fondness for classic Disney films such as The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas. Toddler Mackenzie had no idea who to thank for these masterpieces, but Glen Keane is the answer for this. His animations have graced a variety of households with works also including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled.
While most of his work may be within the Walt Disney Animation Studios, Keane found the time to produce his own short animated film called The Duet. The story, entirely animated and directed by the great animator himself, follows characters Mia and Tosh from birth to adulthood as their individual paths in life find themselves continuously intertwining. The illustrations from one scene and period in life for each character flows with such ease on the eyes, and the simplicity of the color scheme adds a beautiful aesthetic that has become extremely underrated with the advancement of animation technology over the years. The film is merely 3:42 long, but the story that unfolds within has a beautiful impact that lasts for a lot longer. Keane always seems to have a way to reach into the hearts of all who watch the films he's involved with, and I must say that his work with this one is absolutely no exception. I can't wait for whatever he plans to surprise us with next!
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Our 10 Favorite Disney Animated Villains
With Disney's latest re-imagining of Maleficent burning through the box office, it got us here at Ruby Hornet thinking. We've had Disney on the brain for quite some time, so we'd figure we share some of that with you all. Geoff Henao, Alex Katz, and I have put our heads together to come up with a list of our ten favorite Disney animated villains.
So for this list, it means no Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Ghibli, or even live-action villains. It's just villains crafted by the House of Mouse itself (if there's enough interest, we may visit those later). Finally, this isn't a definitive list by any means. It's just our ten favorites as of this writing. With all of that said, check out our Ten Favorite Disney Animated Villains!
[Short Film] STAR WARS FILIBUSTER: Patton Oswalt's Rant Animated
http://youtu.be/CvdoLRBudwU
Back in April when word came out that George Lucas had sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney, everybody with even a passing interest in films had a reaction to the announcement. Comedian/actor Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) made waves when he was shot delivering a "Star Wars filibuster" during taping of an episode of Parks and Recreation where he went on a large rant about his ideas for the upcoming seventh film in the franchise.
In an exclusive video for Nerdist, animator Daniel Spellman created a short animation of Oswalt's rant, which mixed Star Wars mythos with the Marvel Film Universe (another Disney-owned property), robots, a severed Chewbacca head, and even Greek gods from Clash of the Titans. While Oswalt's rant stands on its own, this animation certainly adds an extra layer to the concept and sticks out when compared to other similar animated shorts.
[via Nerdist]