#attackofthereview

[attackofthereview]

Life of Pi

(picture source)

  PG

Released November 21, 2012

Directed by Ang Lee

Produced by Ang Lee and David Womark

Music by Mychael Danna

  Based on the novel by Yann Martel, Life of Pi illustrates Pi Patel’s (Suraj Sharma) journey as he struggles to survive on a life boat with a tiger. Told through flashback, the film begins by visiting the story of how Pi got his name and how he grew up.  Being raised by his zookeeper father, Pi was taught to care for and respect the animals, as well as to fear the dangerous Bengal tiger. When Pi is a teenager, he father decides that it would be best for the family to move to Canada with some of the animals and start a new zoo. The cargo ship they travel on sinks, leaving Pi with a tiger named Richard Parker to survive together on a small life boat.

Despite its PG rating, I would not consider Life of Pi to be a family movie, and it is not for young children. It is a film that takes a certain level of maturity to appreciate. Maturity aside, a man and a tiger on a boat was barely interesting enough to keep my attention for 127 minutes. There are no crude jokes, sex scenes, or profanity, but the content is emotionally heavy. I found this movie to be good for personal reflection, though I would not recommend it for a Friday night date.

Apart for my own personal opinion on the movie, it blatantly is a work of art. In 2013, Life of Pi was up for eleven Academy Awards, being nominated for best achievement in editing, original song, production design, sound editing, sound mixing, best motion picture of the year, and best adapted screenplay, and winning best achievement in cinematography, directing, original music score, and visual effects. Life of Pi was beautifully captured, treating the imagination with its seamless CGI and mystical music scores. It is one of the movie masterpieces of the year, and I would recommend it to film fans who enjoy viewing unique works.

  - Reviewed by Dani 3/6/2013 -

[attackofthereview]

Wreck-It Ralph

(picture source)

PG

Released November 2, 2012

Directed by Rich Moore

Produced by Clark Spencer

Music by Henry Jackman

  Wreck-It Ralph is the classic arcade game antagonist. He is strong and scary, constantly wreaking havoc while hero Fix-It Felix Jr. cleans up his mess, and- oh yeah, he’s sick of being bad. Disney’s latest flick follows Wreck-It Ralph as he discovers what it means to do good and be a hero.

Every day after school, kids flock to the local arcade. As the thirtieth anniversary approaches for the classic platform game “Fix-It Felix Jr.”, villain Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) opens up about his jealously for Felix’s spotlight and desire that characters would not look upon him as a bad guy. After being challenged by another character at the thirtieth anniversary party, Ralph decides to visit other video games, looking for ways to earn a medal to prove he can be he a hero. Ralph finds a medal in the first-person shooter game “Hero’s Duty”, but loses it in the colorful and sweet “Sugar Rush” racing game. It ends up in the hands of wannabe racer Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), who is known by the other racers as the game’s glitch. Vanellope uses the medal as a gold coin to enter the race, but promises to return it to Ralph once she wins. After much arguing, Ralph agrees to help Vanellope learn to race. While Ralph works with Vanellope, Felix (Jack McBrayer) and Calhoun (Jane Lynch), a commander from “Hero’s Duty”, come to Sugar Rush to stop a virus that Ralph carried into the game from the first-person shooter. Calhoun, Felix, and Ralph work to unravel the secrets behind Vanellope’s glitch and save the games.

At first glance, the concept of the movie seems too jaded; the stories of inanimate objects’ lives when humans are not present have been told many times through animated works. Fortunately, Disney keeps it fresh, bringing digital characters to life rather than toys or cars. The characters explore many arcade machine worlds, traveling through electrical wires to visit each other’s games.

The story was clear and brilliantly told through crisp animation. The script contained jokes for all ages. Some tended to be a little immature. For example- Vanellope makes bathroom jokes about “Hero’s Doodie”. Coming from an elementary-school-aged racer, the humor is totally innocent, though I personally found it a bit obnoxious at times.

Wreck-It Ralph was nominated for best animated feature film at the Oscars in 2013. I agree that the movie deserves some recognition. I think it was marvelously crafted and I am sure it is one that I will be adding to my Disney movie collection.

Overall, Wreck-It Ralph is a great family movie that will appeal to older kids who will enjoy the cameos of their favorite classic game characters, as well as younger ones who are new to the arcade scene. The film’s bright animation, energetic music, and strong storyline make it exciting to watch, and a good pick for your next relaxed, light-hearted movie night.

  - Reviewed by Dani 3/6/2013 -