2023 Cannes Marathon: Dumbo

 

(Co-Winner of the Palme d’Or & for Best Animation Design at the 1947 Cannes Film Festival)

Directed by Ben Sharpsteen and screenplay by Joe Grant and Dick Huemer from a children’s story by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl with illustrations by Helen Durney, Dumbo is the story of a baby elephant who is ridiculed for his large ears at the circus while mother is caged following an angry outburst. The fourth film from Walt Disney Animation Studios showcases a young elephant trying to fit in at the circus where his mother and other elephants perform while he gains an ally in a tiny mouse. Featuring the voices of Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, Cliff Edwards, Herman Bing, Sterling Holloway, Margaret Wright, the Hall Johnson Choir, and narration by John McLeish. Dumbo is a majestic and adventurous film from Ben Sharpsteen and producer Walt Disney.

The film revolves around a young baby elephant with large ears as he is ridiculed by many until a mouse tries to help him as they make a major discovery that would put the titular character to the top of the circus. It is a film with a simple premise as it plays into the journey this young baby elephant would take as he would watch his mother be caged in an act of rage after a bunch of mean kids make fun of his ears. The film’s screenplay by Joe Grant and Dick Huemer is largely straightforward as it begins with circus animals receiving their newborns from storks with one of them (Sterling Holloway) carrying the titular baby to Mrs. Jumbo who is part of a herd of elephant circus performers who are eager to see this new baby but are appalled by his large ears. Following an incident that left Mrs. Jumbo enraged and later locked into a cage away from the other elephants, Timothy Q. Mouse (Edward Brophy) would be Dumbo’s only other ally after another incident in which he had been shunned by the other elephants and become part of an act involving clowns that proves to be humiliating.

Ben Sharpsteen’s direction is full of gorgeous imagery thanks in part to the contributions of Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Bill Roberts, Jack Kinney, and Samuel Armstrong who would each direct some sequences for the film including some musical numbers. Along with the work of art directors Don DaGrasi, Dick Kelsey, Ernie Nordli, Kendall O’Connor, Charles Payzant, Herbert Rayman, Terrell Stapp, and Al Zinnen, with additional un-credited work by Ken Anderson, Robert Cormack, Hugh Hennesy, John Hubley, and Lance Nolley, Sharpsteen and the team would bring a lot of nuances to the characters including the creation of Dumbo, Mrs. Jumbo, Timothy, and many others as well as the environment they’re in. Yet, there are elements in the film such as an animated sequence in which a large number of African-American laborers are shown building the circus tent while many of the people who are at the circus are mainly white along with the performers and its greedy yet unimaginative ringmaster (Herman Bing). The presentation of these crows that Dumbo and Timothy meet in the film’s third act seem to suggest that they’re variations of minstrels though they’re actually sympathetic towards Dumbo’s plight as an outcast while being among those who discovers Dumbo’s gift.

Sharpsteen’s direction also has some unique compositions including moments that are heartfelt such as Dumbo’s reunion with his mother to the song Baby Mine that also has glimpses of other animals with their young ones. The pink elephants sequence is the most surreal sequence in film as it plays into Dumbo and Timothy drinking water that was spiked with champagne as they had no idea what they drank as it leads to them experiencing these hallucinations. It would lead into the events into its third act with the climax being the key event that would show a reason for why Dumbo has these large ears. Overall, Sharpsteen crafts a lively and exhilarating about a young elephant with large ears that prove to be something special.

The sound work of George Lowerre, James MacDonald, and Harold J. Steck is terrific for the sound effects that are created for the film as well as the way certain objects sound on some of the musical numbers. The film’s music by Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace is incredible as the score is filled with some playful circus numbers as well as some somber orchestral pieces with songs that include lyrics by Ned Washington that is a highlight of the film with songs like Baby Mine and When I See an Elephant Fly as the big standouts.

The film’s marvelous ensemble voice cast feature some notable appearances from Billy Blechter as a clown, the trio of Noreen Gammill, Dorothy Scott, and Sarah Selby as elephant performers who say a lot of things, Margaret Wright as the train Casey Junior, Sterling Holloway as Mr. Stork who delivers the newborn Dumbo to Mrs. Jumbo, the quartet known as the Hall Johnson Chorus that consists of Hall Johnson, James Baskett, Nick Stewart, and Jim Carmichael as four of the singing crows, Herman Bing as the ringmaster who is a greedy man that is hoping to make lots of money despite not coming up with any ideas, and Cliff Edwards as the head crow in Dandy Crow who discovers Dumbo on a tree branch. Verna Felton is brilliant in a dual role as a brief voice role as Dumbo’s mother Mrs. Jumbo and in a more prominent role as the head elephant performer Matriarch who is trying to maintain morale among the elephants yet is the one who banishes Dumbo from the herd. Finally, there’s Edward Brophy in an amazing voice performance as Timothy Q. Mouse as a young mouse who dresses like a ringmaster who is one of the few that befriends and cares for Dumbo as he does what he can to help him in every way he can.

Dumbo is a phenomenal film from Ben Sharpsteen and producer Walt Disney as it’s not just one of the great films of Disney Animation Studios but also a film that explores a young elephant finding his worth. Despite a few elements in the film that are badly dated in its presentation of African-Americans, it is still a film that have a lot of positive attributes in this story about an elephant feeling like he doesn’t belong only for his big ears to be something much more special than he realizes. In the end, Dumbo is a sensational film from Ben Sharpsteen and Disney Animation Studios.

© thevoid99 2023

Big Hero 6

Based on the comic book series by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau, Big Hero 6 is the story of a tech prodigy who creates a robot that helps him fight against a masked villain with the help of friends. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams and screenplay by Robert L. Baird, Dan Gerson, and Jordan Roberts, the film is set in a futuristic hybrid-city of San Francisco and Tokyo where a young kid tries to learn what it means to be a hero as well as cope with loss. Featuring the voices of Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Genesis Rodriguez, Damon Wayans Jr., Alan Tudyk, Maya Rudolph, and James Cromwell. Big Hero 6 is an exhilarating and touching film from Don Hall and Chris Williams.

Set in a futuristic city that combines San Francisco and Tokyo into a city called San Fransokyo, the film follows a 14-year old tech prodigy with little direction in life as he is encouraged by his older brother to use his talents where a tragic incident prompts the boy to become a hero and fulfill his brother’s wish to help people. It’s a film that isn’t just a boy coping with loss but also befriend a creation of his brother in an inflatable healthcare robot named Baymax (Scott Adsit) who would inspire him to do good. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just follow the young life of Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) who is this brilliant and smart kid that can create robotic stuff including micro-bots as it would be something he and Baymax would have to go against as it’s under the control of a mysterious masked villain. While Hiro and his friends do have a suspect as it relates to a tech entrepreneur in Alistair Keri (Alan Tudyk) who would give Hiro an offer for his micro-bots earlier in the film at a showcase. Yet, there are some things that become complicated as it relates to the grief Hiro has for his brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney).

The film’s direction by Don Hall and Chris Williams is definitely extraordinary for not just the setting of the film but also in creating something that bends a lot of genre but knows what it wants to be. The look of San Fransokyo is definitely a marvel as it does look and feel like a city that has its own unique style while Hall and Williams use some wide and medium shots for the locations while going for the latter in some of the intimate moments involving Hiro and Baymax. The close-ups would play into some of the emotional moments while the direction also has some humor as well as scenes that showcase Hiro’s talents along with the things Tadashi’s friends are able to do. It adds to some lavish sequences that are added with some gorgeous visuals due to the contributions of cinematographers Rob Dressel and Adolph Lusinsky in how some of the scenes at night are lit.

Aided by production designer Paul A. Felix and art director Scott Watanabe as well as visual effects supervisor Kyle Odermatt in the way some of the scenes in the sky look with Odermatt creating a very surreal sequence that occurs late in the film. There is a richness to the animation while it also leans toward the world of comic books as Hall and Williams definitely maintain that look of a comic book as the characters in the form not only are inspired by comics but also play up its sense of whimsy and adventure. Overall, Hall and Williams create a fun and heartfelt film about a young tech prodigy fulfilling his brother’s wish to do good by becoming a hero.

Editor Tim Mertens does excellent work with the editing as it has some nice rhythms to play into the action as well as in some of the humor without deviating too much into fast-cutting techniques. Sound editor/designer Shannon Mills does amazing work with the sound in creating some sound effects as well as in the way Baymax sounds. The film’s music by Henry Jackman is fantastic as it has these amazing orchestral flourishes in the strings as it play into the sense of adventure as well as in the drama and suspense as it is a highlight of the film.

The casting by Jamie Sparer Roberts is great as it feature some small yet notable voice roles from James Cromwell as a tech college professor who sees promise in Hiro’s work with micro-bots, Maya Rudolph as Hiro and Tadashi’s aunt Cass who raises them and runs a café, and Alan Tudyk as the tech guru Alistair Krei whom Hiro and Tadashi’s friends suspect as the mysterious masked villain because he wants the micro-bot tech that Hiro created. Genesis Rodriguez is wonderful as chemist wiz Honey Lemon who becomes part of the team due to her creation of powerful chemicals while Jamie Chung is fantastic as GoGo as an electromagnetic wiz who is also very athletic. Damon Wayans Jr. is superb as Wasabi as neurotic laser engineer who creates weapons involving lasers as he is also the most cautious. T.J. Miller is excellent as Fred as the school’s mascot who is the biggest comic book nerd as he is the wild card of the team.

Daniel Henney is brilliant as Tadashi as Hiro’s older brother who shows Hiro the things he can do and his ambitions where an incident would lead to his passing yet would find a way to give his younger brother some wisdom. Scott Adsit is amazing as the voice of Baymax as this robot who is this object of innocence as his object is to help people in need as a medical robot as it’s a character that is so complex where it shows something that has a lot to offer as it’s one of the most adorable and heartfelt characters in a film. Finally, there’s Ryan Potter in a marvelous performance as Hiro Hamada as a fourteen-year old robotics prodigy who deals with loss as well as a lack of direction where he is determined to solve the loss of his older brother as well as deal with growing pains as Potter’s performance is a highlight of the film.

Big Hero 6 is a phenomenal film from Don Hall and Chris Williams. Featuring some amazing imagery, top-notch art direction and animation, a great voice ensemble, and a heartfelt story about doing good and coping with loss. It’s a superhero film with heart as well as providing something much more than just being entertaining and fun. In the end, Big Hero 6 is a sensational film from Don Hall and Chris Williams.

© thevoid99 2016

Waking Sleeping Beauty

Directed and narrated by Don Hahn and written by Patrick Pacheco, Waking Sleeping Beauty is about the period of Walt Disney Studios in which they endured a creative decline in the late 70s and early 80s that would eventually lead to the Disney Renaissance from 1989 to 1999. Featuring numerous audio interviews from animators and those that were part of Disney during that period, the film documents a company trying to reinvent itself in the wake of a decline. The result is a fascinating and exhilarating film from Don Hahn.

In the late 1970s, Walt Disney Studios and its animation department was going through a decline under the supervision of Walt Disney’s son-in-law Ron Miller as well as the departure of animator Don Bluth who took several animators with him further delaying the production of The Fox and the Hound. Following a management shakeup in the early 80s and the commercial failure of The Black Cauldron, Roy E. Disney brought in Michael Eisner and Frank Wells as chairman and president, respectively while Jeffrey Katzenberg was brought in by Eisner to head its animation department. The film is about what Eisner, Wells, and Katzenberg did to help Disney resurrect itself following a period of decline as well as almost being bought by other forces that led to the Disney Renaissance from 1989 to the end of the 20th Century.

Using mostly archival and home video footage with some of the latter that was shot by future Pixar co-founder John Lasseter and animator Joe Ranft as well as archival audio interviews. Don Hahn, who was an animator and later a producer for some of the films that was part of the Disney Renaissance, would reveal exactly what was happening as well as some of the uneasy moments and tension that had occurred upon the arrival of Eisner leading the pack. Many of the animators as well as audio interviews from Eisner and Katzenberg revealed the state of what Disney was in as well as how slow things were. By the time The Little Mermaid turned things around where it was a massive success thanks in some part to the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Disney was also trying to experiment with new technology in digital animation where their first experiment in The Rescuers Down Under was a commercial failure yet it urge the animators and Katzenberg to push the boundaries more for Beauty and the Beast which became the company’s biggest success at the time.

Despite the successes that were starting to emerge that would include Aladdin and The Lion King, there was this growing tension between Eisner, Roy E. Disney, and Katzenberg over management as the peacekeeper of the group had been Frank Wells and some said the beginning of the end of this period of rebuilding was when Wells died in a helicopter crash in April of 1994. Months later after not being chosen to succeed Wells as well as getting a lot of credit for making Disney Animation successful again. Katzenberg would resign just the day after The Lion King premiered despite the fact that he had just won the trust and adulation of the animators whom he had a testy relationship with at first.

Hahn’s direction definitely says a lot into that period where he never films any new footage as a way to capture a period in time where the company was trying to find himself. With the aid of editors Ellen Keneshea, Vartan Nazarian, and John Damien Ryan as well as Sound editor Frank E. Eulner who would help compile many of the audio interviews. The film’s music by Chris P. Bacon helps play into the many different periods with its low-key approach to jazz and orchestral pieces to play into its evolution as well as create variations of music from other films.

Waking Sleeping Beauty is a marvelous film from Don Hahn. Fans of Disney Animation and Disney history will see this as essential while it is also a compelling documentary that explores some of the events that was happening as well as how some came into Disney and what led to them making great films that audiences know and love. In the end, Waking Sleeping Beauty is a sublime film from Don Hahn.

© thevoid99 2016

Frozen (2013 film)

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, Frozen is the story of a young princess who treks through rugged mountains during a cold winter to retrieve her estranged sister who was responsible for the cold winter through her icy powers. Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee and screenplay by Lee from a story by Buck, Lee, and Shane Morris, the film is a tale of sisterhood where a young princess tries to save her older sister from herself with the help of a mountain man, a reindeer, and a snowman. Featuring the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, and Santino Fontana. Frozen is a dazzling and heart-warming film from Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.

The film plays into the relationship between two sisters as the eldest is born with powers to produce snow and ice as she is afraid to hurt her younger sister leading to a schism between the two prompting the younger to get her back home. While it is a film about sisters, it is also a film about love between these two women as the eldest in Elsa (Idina Menzel) wants to protect Anna (Kristen Bell) from herself as she had accidentally hit ice at Anna when they were kids and cut herself off to protect her. Yet, Anna has no memory of that incident as she is confused by their estrangement until they come together for Elsa’s coronation ceremony where problems emerge where Elsa turns the kingdom into ice and isolates herself in her own castle. Anna wants to get Elsa back home with some help yet things become complicated when it is clear how dangerous Elsa has become to herself and to Anna.

Jennifer Lee’s screenplay takes it time to explore the troubled relationship between Elsa and Anna where Elsa’s icy powers are the real problem as they’re forced to live in isolation in their castle for much of their life as they would also deal with the death of their parents separately. When Elsa comes of age to become queen, she has a hard time dealing with the responsibilities that she has to face as well as controlling her powers as she is being exposed to the people in her kingdom. Even as Anna falls for a prince named Hans (Santino Fontana) while a duke (Alan Tudyk) from a neighboring country wants to do business with her only to plot Elsa’s assassination once her powers are exposed. When Anna goes to find Elsa, she gets the help of the mountain man Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer Sven, and a living snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad). Yet, the forces such as the Duke of Weselton would try to complicate things as well as Elsa’s own powers as she continuously shuts herself off from the people that really cared about her.

The direction of Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck is truly astonishing not just in its visual setting but also in the animation as it blends hand-drawn animation and 3D computer animation. With its team of animators, the film has this wide canvas to create this land that Elsa and Anna live in as well as what it would look like in the winter time. Much of it involve some wide shots and scenery to play into that world where it includes some unique lighting schemes to play into the mood of the film as Elsa’s emotions is the catalyst for her powers. There’s also some medium shots and close-ups into the way Lee and Buck wanted to frame the characters including some of the elements of love in the way Anna falls for Hans. Some of it is presented in a comical manner as characters like Sven and Olaf are comic figures yet they do help drive the story as it relates to the concept of love and being there for one another.

There’s also some dazzling sequences that play into a sense of action as it’s driven by emotion where the mixture of the animation styles manage to work very seamlessly. Especially in the film’s climax where it plays into the world that the sisters had lived in as well as the forces who want to stop Elsa for their own reasons. Much of the compositions of that sequence as well as what is at stake comes into play as it maintains that theme of love and sisterhood. Overall, Lee and Buck creates a truly exhilarating and touching film about the love of two sisters.

Editor Jeff Draheim does brilliant work with the editing with its use of montages, jump-cuts, and other rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and drama. Production designer David Womersley and art director Michael Giamo do amazing work with the design of the castles and places the characters go to. Sound designer Odin Benitez does fantastic work with the sound from the way ice sounds when it cracks and the way some of Elsa‘s powers are shot from her hands. The film’s music by Christophe Beck is superb for its bombastic orchestral score to play with the film‘s adventurous tone while the songs by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez is just incredible for the way it helps tell the story as songs like Let It Go, Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, For the First Time in Forever, In Summer, and many others doesn’t just give the film a musical feel but also has more to say as it is a true highlight of the film as the songs themselves are great in their own.

The voice casting by Jamie Sparer Roberts is excellent as it features some notable small voice roles Maurice LaMarche and Jennifer Lee as Elsa and Anna’s parents, Chris Williams as the very funny trading post manager Oaken, Maia Wilson as a troll Anna meets in Bulda, and Ciaran Hinds as an elderly troll in Grand Pabbie who reveals a lot about Elsa’s powers and how she can control it. Alan Tudyk is terrific as the scheming Duke of Weselton who wants to gain power of some of Arendelle’s commerce while planning to have Elsa killed later on. Santino Fontana is superb as Prince Hans of the Southern Isles who woos Anna into being engaged with him as he would try to save her. In the voices of the young Elsa and Anna, respectively, there’s Eva Bell and Spencer Lacey Ganus as the 8 and 12 year old versions of Elsa while Livvy Stubenrauch does the voice of the 5-year old Anna while Katie Lopez and Agatha Lee Monn provide the singing versions of the 5 and 9 year old versions of Anna.

Josh Gad is a total delight as the snowman Olaf as this snowman who wants to experience summertime as well as being a comic relief with some nice commentary about love and its power. Jonathan Groff is amazing as Kristoff as this mountain man who provides ice to Arendelle as he reluctantly helps out Anna with his reindeer Sven, who is a fantastic companion, as he would introduce Anna to the trolls that he had been raised by. Idina Menzel is brilliant as Elsa as this troubled young woman who has powers to create ice as she tries to shut herself off so that she wouldn’t hurt anyone as Menzel also provides a lot of weight into her singing as she makes Elsa a truly engaging character. Finally, there’s Kristen Bell in a remarkable performance as Anna as Elsa’s younger sister who just wants to help and reach out to Elsa unaware of what Elsa can do as Bell’s determination, anguish, and exuberance in her singing just makes Anna a very complex character.

Frozen is a truly outstanding film from Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee as well as the team of Disney Animation Studios. Not only is it a musical that is very soaring with its songs but also with a strong story that can captivate audiences of any age. Especially as it is an animation film that can dazzle cinephiles but also astonish children while having something profound to say about sisterhood and love. In the end, Frozen is a phenomenal film from Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.

© thevoid99 2014

Wreck-It Ralph

Directed by Rich Moore and screenplay by Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee from a story by Moore, Johnston, and Jim Reardon with additional contributions by John C. Reilly, Sam J. Levine, and Jared Stern, Wreck-It Ralph is the story of a titular video game bad guy character who decides he doesn’t want to be the bad guy anymore by leaving his game in the hopes he can get a medal and earn the respect of the other characters from his game. The film explores the world of the arcade video games from the early 80s 8-bit games to the games of the 21st Century where a bad guy becomes the hero as he finds himself in different games and befriending a character who is considered a glitch. Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Mindy Kaling, Joe Lo Truglio, Dennis Haysbert, and Ed O’Neill. Wreck-It Ralph is a sensational and astonishing film from Rich Moore.

The film is about the titular bad guy (John C. Reilly) whose job in the video game Fix-It-Felix Jr. as all he does is wreck a building while the game’s titular character (Jack McBrayer) fixes it. Ralph does the job for 30 years but feels unappreciated as he decides he doesn’t want to be the bad guy anymore and earn a medal in the hopes he can get respected. When Felix learns that Ralph went to a shooting game called Hero’s Duty to get a medal, he tries to stop him but other circumstances lands Ralph in the candy-based racing game Sugar Rush where he meets and help a young girl named Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) to be in the race despite the fact that she’s a glitch. Yet, there’s something that Ralph had brought that would threaten not just the game but also all of the games in the arcade as he and Felix have to stop it.

The film’s screenplay does have this traditional structure where the first act is about Ralph leaving Fix-It-Felix Jr. after feeling unappreciated by other characters in the game as he meets a character from Hero’s Duty where he learns about getting a medal until an encounter with a cy-bug causes trouble. When Ralph finds himself at Sugar Rush, he meets Vanellope who is this character that is a glitch as he is annoyed by her at first yet decides to help her so he can get his medal and she can become a character in the game. Still, Ralph and Vanellope have to deal with the character King Candy (Alan Tudyk) who believes that if Vanellope becomes part of the game. She will ruin it because she is a glitch and the game will be unplugged leaving all of the characters homeless like another legendary game character in Q*bert and his fellow villains.

The script succeeds in giving characters motivations and such to drive the story where Felix teams with Hero’s Duty character Sgt. Calhoun (Jane Lynch) to find Ralph as well as cy-bug that had entered Sugar Rush as it’s a creature that becomes whatever it eats and create chaos until someone lights a beacon to get rid of them. Felix falls for Sgt. Calhoun as he also tells her about a character named Turbo who was this popular racing game character who got jealous when a new racing game emerged where he hacked into the game and put that and his own game out of commission which adds to Felix’s motivation to get Ralph back in their game or they will be unplugged.

Rich Moore’s direction is dazzling not just in the way he presents the world of the arcade games but also for the fact that it’s set in an arcade where many characters meet at the plugging board to interact and be at other games after closing time at the arcade. Even the games themselves are set in a world that is unique where characters are seen drinking at Tapper’s where on the screen, some of the game characters are shown in high-definition or in 8-bit animated style. With the help of supervising animator Doug Bennett, Moore’s direction has these very broad and sprawling images where the animation also helps out in the look of the characters as Tapper and most of the minor characters in Fix-It-Felix Jr. all have this jerky look to their movements since they’re programmed in an 8-bit animated style.

The animation also features a lot of video game references where there’s numerous cameos from many great characters in the film such as an early scene where Ralph attends a video-game bad guys anonymous meeting with villains from Pac Man, Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros., and Sonic the Hedgehog as well as many others. It adds to this very unique world that is very appealing to audiences that grew up playing video games as well as the evolution of video games from 8-bit to high-definition animation. Overall, Moore creates a truly exhilarating and imaginative film about a bad guy’s desire to be good and do good in the world of video games.

Editor Tim Mertens does brilliant work with the editing with its use of stylish rhythmic cuts as well as play into the energy of the action and humor that occurs in the film. Art director Ian Gooding does amazing work with the look of video game world from the sugary-confection of Sugar Rush to the dark world of Hero‘s Duty. Sound designer Gary Rydstrom and sound editors Frank E. Eulner and Marshall Winn do fantastic work with the sound with the way some characters move to the sound effects that is used in the games that the characters go to. The film’s music by Henry Jackman is superb for its mixture of orchestral-based music to play into the action along with some electronic and 8-bit music to help create that world of the video games while the soundtrack features contributions from Rhianna, Skrillex (who makes a cameo in the film), Owl City, Kool & the Gang, AKB48, and the video game novelty duo Buckner and Garcia doing the film’s theme song.

The voice casting by Jamie Sparer Roberts is incredible for the voice ensemble that was used as it features some notable voice work from Edie McClurg, Rachael Harris, and Raymond Persi as characters from Fix-It-Felix Jr. with Persi also voicing a zombie at the Bad-Anon meeting. Other noteworthy small voice roles include contributions from director Rich Moore as King Candy’s assistant Sour Bill/Zangief from Street Fighter, Horatio Sanz and Adam Carolla as the Sugar Rush police officers, Joe Lo Truglio as the drunk Hero’s Duty soldier Ralph meets at Tapper’s, Dennis Haysbert as the general at Hero’s Duty, Mindy Kaling as the Sugar Rush racer Taffy Muttonfudge, and Ed O’ Neill as the arcade owner Mr. Litwak whose character is sort of based on the Twin Galaxies arcade founder Walter Day.

Alan Tudyk is excellent as the Sugar Rush ruler King Candy who tries to get rid of Vanellope in the hopes that she doesn’t ruin the game while there’s an added layer to the character that makes him far more intriguing. Jane Lynch is fantastic as Sgt. Calhoun as a no-nonsense bug killer who helps Felix find Ralph and the cy-bug that entered Sugar Rush as she is baffled by Felix’s attraction towards her. Jack McBrayer is brilliant as Fix-It-Felix Jr. as a game hero who fixes everything with his magical hammer as he tries to find Ralph and get him back or else he and the other characters in the game become homeless.

Sarah Silverman is amazing as Vanellope Von Schweetz as this glitchy character who just wants to be in the race as she befriends Ralph where Silverman adds an energy to the character. Finally, there’s John C. Reilly in a remarkable performance as the film’s titular character where he brings that sense of humility and determination to his character making it one of Reilly’s best performance that is crucial to making Ralph a very unforgettable character.

Wreck-It Ralph is a phenomenal film from Rich Moore and Disney Animation. Featuring some dazzling visuals, a superb music soundtrack, and a brilliant voice cast, the film manages to do more than just be a kid’s film as it appeals to gamers as well. Largely as it features the world of the arcade as well as the different kinds of video games that has endured for more than 30 years. In the end, Wreck-It Ralph is a spectacular film from Rich Moore.

© thevoid99 2013

Tangled

Based on the Grimm Brothers fairy tale Rapunzel, Tangled is the story about a long-lost princess with long magical hair who yearns to leave her secluded tower with the help of a thief to reach a city for an upcoming festival. Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard with a screenplay by Dan Fogelman, the animated film is a partially-experimental film where 2D hand-drawn animation and 3D computer animation work together to create a new take on the story of Rapunzel. With a voice cast that includes Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Frank Welker, Brad Garrett, and Jeffrey Tambor. Tangled is a fun and adventurous animated film from Nathan Greno and Byron Howard.

After being kidnapped by an old woman named Gothel (Donna Murphy), Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) has been kept in seclusion by Gothel who needs her long hair to maintain her youth. All of her life, Rapunzel wonders about these lights she sees up in the sky as they always appear on her birthday as she’s about to turn 18. She asks Gothel if she can go out and see what’s over there as Gothel claims the outside world is a dark place as she goes out to gather things Rapunzel needs for her painting. Meanwhile, a young thief named Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) has stolen a crown from a kingdom as he and the Stabbington brothers (Ron Perlman) flee the guards where Flynn finds himself hiding in Rapunzel’s home where he is knocked and interrogated by the young girl.

After Flynn reluctantly agrees to take Rapunzel to see the sky lanterns in exchange for the crown he stole, Rapunzel enters the outside world with her pet chameleon Pascal. When Gothel realizes that Rapunzel has left her tower, she tries to find her with the help of the Stabbington brothers as Flynn and Rapunzel go to a tavern where they meet rough thugs whom they befriend due to their aspirations for a life outside of crime. The thugs help Rapunzel evade the guards who are looking for Rider as they hide in caves where Flynn learns about the magical elements of Rapunzel’s hair. Flynn reveals his real name as he takes Rapunzel to the kingdom with help the guards’ lead horse Maximus.

With Rapunzel finally getting the chance to see the sky lanterns with Flynn, Flynn encounters the Stabbington brothers in hope to live up to his deal with them. Instead, the plan is altered where Gothel takes Rapunzel as she discovers her true identity while Flynn deals with guards in his hopes to save Rapunzel.

The film is essentially a re-telling of the story of Rapunzel with a new twist as screenwriter Dan Fogelman creates a story where it’s about this young girl who is this long-lost princess that has been secluded for all her life in the care of a woman who needs her hair to maintain her youth and beauty. While there is a bit of exposition about Rapunzel’s hair told in a prologue by the character of Flynn Rider. It does reveal the kind of person Gothel is and why she’s been keeping Rapunzel as she isn’t a traditional villain. Rider and Rapunzel aren’t traditional good guys either as Flynn is an admitted thief while Rapunzel is a young woman who doesn’t know about the outside world but can fend for herself. Fogelman’s script succeeds in not just giving these characters more than what they’re supposed to be. He also succeeds in playing with the damsel-in-distress formula by adding humor and light-dramatic scenes that does help move the story forward.

The direction of Nathan Greno and Byron Howard is brilliant for the compositions and scenes that are created. Notably as it combines 2D hand-drawn animation with 3D computer animation as the film has a look that is all computer animated but the feeling of a 2D animated film. Notably in the way the characters move and interact with certain things as well as the set pieces created for the film. One notable sequence that really is a marvel to watch is the sky lanterns scene where all of these lanterns are displayed in a nighttime sky. It’s truly exquisite in its beauty and the way those scenes are drawn. With its mix of humor and adventure, Greno and Howard create a film that is truly entertaining as well as making something is a true visual feast.

Editor Tim Merkins does an incredible job with the film‘s editing as he brings a wonderful sense of style in creating montages to Rapunzel‘s reaction to be out of the world as well as a few jump-cuts to play with the film‘s unique rhythm. Production designer Douglas Rogers, along with art directors Dan Cooper and David Goetz, does great work in creating some of the set pieces for the film such as Rapunzel‘s tower and the tavern the thugs hang out at. Visual effects supervisor Steve Goldberg does a brilliant job with some of the visual effects created for some of the 3D parts of the film that includes the sky lanterns scene.

Sound designers Cameron Frankley, Jason W. Jennings, and Ai-Ling Lee do a fantastic job with the sound work from the sound of leaves and waterfalls in the woods to the atmosphere of the tavern and damn that Rapunzel and Flynn encounter. The film’s music by Alan Menken is brilliant for its mixture of flourishing orchestral music to more playful folk music for some of the scenes at the kingdom. The songs that Menken wrote with lyricist Glenn Slater are definitely top of the line such as Mother Knows Best, the ballad I See the Light, and the very upbeat I’ve Got a Dream as it’s some of the best work that Menken has done as it also includes a song by Grace Potter in the film’s final credits.

The voice casting by Jamie Sparer Roberts is wonderful for the ensemble that is created as it includes Frank Welker voicing the enjoyable animal creatures in the horse Maximus and the chameleon Pascal. Other notable small voice work include Richard Kiel, Jeffrey Tambor, and Brad Garrett as friendly thugs, M.C. Gainey as the guard captain, and Ron Perlman doing dual voice work as the rough and conniving Stabbington Brothers. Donna Murphy is superb as the sly yet cunning Gothel who is desperate to keep Rapunzel with her while dealing with Rapunzel’s yearning for freedom. Zachary Levi is terrific as the charming and brave Flynn Rider who reluctantly helps Rapunzel out while realizing what it takes to be a very good guy. Finally, there’s Mandy Moore in a fantastic performance as Rapunzel as she brings a lot of humor, wit, and determination to the character who is quite naïve but also willing to see the sky lanterns as she also has great chemistry with Levi and Murphy.

Tangled is an extraordinary film from Nathan Greno and Byron Howard. Featuring amazing animation and a remarkable ensemble voice cast, it’s a film that definitely lives up to a lot of the animated films Disney has made in the past. Notably as it allows hand-drawn animators and computer animators to create a hybrid of both styles that gives the film a very dazzling yet magical feel. In the end, Tangled is a rich and delightful animated film from Disney Animation Studios.

© thevoid99 2012