#Adventure film

[nine-frames]

"But nobody takes my ship twice!"

The Adventures of Tintin, 2011.

Dir. Steven Spielberg | Writ. Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish | DOP Janusz Kamiński

[heavenlycinema]

Alice in Wonderland 2010

Tim Burton (Dir)

“Gentlemen, the only way to achieve the impossible, is to believe it’s possible.”

[sunyot]

Cinematic Moments - Dune 2021

[popculturerobots]

Whistle

Digimon Adventure (film)

[chollliii]

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) dir. Ben Stiller

[mirobraz]

Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024).

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

[schlock-luster-video]

On April 5, 2000, Pokémon: The First Movie debuted in France.

[roskirambles]

(Archive) Animated movie of the day: One Piece, Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (Omatsuri danshaku a Himitsu no Shima, 2005)

Originally posted: January 14th, 2022 It may sound strange to recommend a film that is part of a broader franchise with an established continuity, but I do think some movies in long running anime franchises are so fascinating you can enjoy them on their own. This is such a film, so different from the rest of the series to the point it's deconstructive…

…and it doubles as our Horror movie of the day.

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda of Summer Wars fame, this movie starts innocuous enough with the kind of setup you'd expect from a shonen special(in this case a vacation resort in a random island), yet sooner than later things start going south. The animation style already feels off, which serves to complement a plot that is almost the antithesis of One Piece: it's a film about people falling apart.

Seeing manga and anime characters bicker and argue in comical fashion is the norm. And One Piece is no different, with the Strawhat Crew constantly screaming to each other with cartoony expressions yet in the end showing undying loyalty to each other. This film shows what happens when said bickering stops being funny. It starts comical enough but as the story goes on it devolves into genuine anger and disgust, with squabbles that are uncomfortable to watch. Fan of the series or not, the shift will feel jarring.

And this isn't even talking about the underlying threat that causes this to happen. This film can create a powerfully quiet and eerie atmosphere where not even a shonen protagonist seems invulnerable, the ensuing imagery being…well, nightmarish. Even the ending feels oddly empty. Less cathartic and more like a bad dream suddenly stopping.

Rumor says this film was born as a conduit for Hosoda to vent his frustrations about his experiences in Studio Ghibli. It would explain a lot: To take such a loved franchise and spin it so violently on its head, there has to be a statement here. And it's unexpectedly mesmerising.

And sure, if you know One Piece's story you're aware the Straw Hats do have some important internal conflicts that make them have rifts in the crew, but the thing that makes this movie notorious is how this is portrayed. While the conflicts in the manga are major disagreements that lend to significant drama among the crew members, they still feel orchestrated. Masterfully played, sure, but they have this sense of being part of a bigger whole. The rifts in this film? They're just come from circumstances pushing the cast's imperfections against each other in a way that deprives them of the larger than life presence they would otherwise have. They become very organically flawed, and end up rubbing each other the wrong way.

It works like a deconstruction of many shonen tropes: How can you invoke the power of friendship when your comrades are fighting each other? How can determination win the day when your problem is something you can't solve with brute force? What if the bad things that happen to them are your fault in your search for adventure?

It's a fascinating watch, that starts like regular One Piece but turns into something else.

[prosperalpanuss]

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, 2007.

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A T C H I N G

[nine-frames]

National Treasure, 2004.

Dir. Jon Turtletaub | Writ. Jim Kouf & the Wibberleys | DOP Caleb Deschanel

[heavenlycinema]

Barbie 2023

Greta Gerwig (Dir)

“Barbie has a great day every day, but Ken only has a great day if Barbie looks at him.”

[eldraftsman]

(Archive) Animated movie of the day: Up (2009)

Originally posted: January 15th, 2023 What makes life worth living? Is it the accumulated experiences we gain? The dreams and aspirations we set out to accomplish? Or maybe… something simpler? Can those dreams get in the way of what truly matters?

One of the most critically lauded Pixar films, the opening is so powerful most people would agree it's already a narratively satisfying experience, if a heartbreaking one. A sentiment I agree with: an entire married life of good and bad times, unfulfilled dreams intertwined with lovely everyday experiences, and the void that comes when one half of that whole parts. All in just seven minutes, it could have been a masterpiece of a short film on it's own merits.

Which provides an interesting contention point: some claim the movie peaks at that point and is followed by an underwhelming wacky adventure, which is kind of missing the point of the story. While you can discuss whether or not the execution was on part with such a striking opening(and I can see the decidedly sillier comedy clashing a bit with the surprisingly down to Earth drama of set up), the contrast is needed for the core of the film to shine. And shine it did: this was nominated by the Academy for Best Film when it came out. Even with their contempt for animation they couldn't deny it's greatness.

You need to feel how deep the loss of Carl is, and how ingrained his sense of failure to Ellie's dream is for it to dawn the stronger he is missing on the other things life still has to offer or have already offered him. How that grand dream never coming for her didn't stop her life being worth living by his side, as it's those small experiences that made it valuable. How to move on, keep going and meeting new people was the most meaningful way to embrace the true spirit of said dreamed voyage: an adventure to share with others you care for.

In the words of Doctor Seuss:

"Don't cry because it's over, be happy because it happened"

Oh, fuck it. I wasn't planning on bleeding into another day but there's a LOT this movie does that makes it a masterful showcase of visual design and storytelling. From the different, subtle shifts in color grading that can completely change how the same space feels, to it's almost religious commitment to shape language and how that communicates character.

Sure, it's unsubtle but tells SO much about the contrast of personalities that it gets the point across without words. The fact Russel is round the same way Ellie's furniture is designed isn't a coincidence. Both in the general(his friendly nature) and in the specifics of the movie's conflict (his role being a new person for Carl to share his life with), the decision is pretty deliberate and pays off big time

Also explains why Charles Muntz is so triangular. Specifically triangles pointing downwards. Unstable, passionate. Dangerous. Tragic. The perfect foil for Carl, but arguably more so for Ellie. She could treasure the little things even if some of her wildest dreams couldn't be achieved, which made her life fulfilling. He couldn't move on from his own, so he gave everything away for a fool's errand.

And of course, shape language gets reinforced with body language. One frame. You can really tell the kind of characters they are with just that.

In case it's not obvious I love this movie. Some of it's comedy is a little too goofy for my taste, sure, but the overall package just hits the right way. Sure, it's romantic and it's central plot device doesn't lack a sense of the absurd, but those emotional peaks render any complaint I could have otherwise completely void.

[popculturerobots]

DigiDestined

Digimon Adventure (film)

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984, Steven Spielberg)

15/03/2024

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, a prequel to the film Raiders of the Lost Ark, with Harrison Ford reprising the title role. After arriving in India, desperate villagers ask Indiana Jones to find a mystical stone and save their children from a Thuggee cult that practices child slavery, black magic, and human sacrifice rituals honoring the goddess Kali.

Not wanting to present the Nazis as villains again, George Lucas, executive producer and co-writer, decided to treat this film as a prequel.

The film was released on May 23, 1984, to financial success, but initial reviews were mixed, criticizing its darker elements, strong violence and gore, as well as Capshaw's performance as Willie Scott; however, critical opinion improved over time, citing the film's intensity and imagination. In response to the film's more violent sequences, and with similar complaints about Gremlins, Spielberg suggested that the MPAA change its rating system, which it did within two months of the film's release, creating a new PG-13 rating. It won the Academy Award for best special effects.

A sequel, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade followed in 1989.

In 1935 Indiana Jones survives an assassination attempt by poisoning by Lao Che, a Shanghai crime boss and businessman who hired him to recover the remains of Emperor Nurhaci. With his young orphaned Chinese sidekick, Short "Shorty" Round, and a nightclub singer, Willie Scott, Indy escapes Shanghai on a cargo plane, unaware that the plane is owned by Lao Che. While the three sleep, the pilots dump the fuel and escape with parachutes, leaving the plane to crash into the Himalayas.

They are welcomed by the inhabitants of a impoverished Indian village, who ask for their help to recover the sacred stone (shivalinga) stolen from their shrine, together with their missing children, by evil forces in the nearby Pankot Palace. The inhabitants had prayed to the god Shiva for help, and when they saw Jones they believed him to be their savior.

Deviating on the road to Delhi, Indy, Willy and Shorty receive a warm welcome at Pankot Palace and are allowed to stay overnight as guests, partaking in a sumptuous, but revolting, banquet hosted by the young maharajah. His officials reject Indy's theory that the Thuggee cult is responsible for the poor village's fate. Indy discovers a secret tunnel in Willie's bedroom and sets out to explore it, overcoming a series of pitfalls. Eventually Indy, Willie and Shorty find the Temple of Evil, where they witness a human sacrifice made in the name of the goddess Kali.

Thuggee high priest Mola Ram forces Indy to drink Kali's blood, which puts him into a trance state where he mindlessly serves the cult. After recovering the stones, saving Willie and freeing the children, Indy fights a huge overseer, who is dragged into a crusher, crushed to death.

Then they come to a precarious suspension bridge over a crocodile-infested river, where they are surrounded by Thugs. Thanks to the intervention of Captain Blumburt and the army sent by the maharajah, Jones, Willie and Shorty are saved and the surviving Thugs are cornered and arrested by other soldiers.

From the first discussions regarding Indiana Jones, George Lucas expressed his intention to produce a trilogy and requested Steven Spielberg's commitment to direct three films. The first episode of the saga, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), had only been released in cinemas for a couple of weeks when plans began for the sequel, which actually turned out to be a prequel, being set a year before the previous film.