The film follows a young girl who is asked to attend a summer weekend hockey camp with her two friends until she gets news from them that would change everything where she deals with new emotions as well as the need to fit in with members of an elite high school hockey team. It is a film that explores a young girl becoming a teenager with her emotional avatars trying to figure out how to adjust to this new phase in her life while dealing with four new emotional avatars who are trying to take over. The film’s screenplay by Meg LaFauve and Dave Holstein, with additional contributions from Ronnie del Carmen, explore the five key emotions in Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) who are overseeing the emotional state of Riley Andersen (Kensington Tallman) while they have created a new section under their main console in a tree-like series of threads known as Sense of Self that gives Riley her identity and personality. When the puberty alarm goes off, the team deals with not just their headquarters becoming shambolic but also meeting four new emotional avatars in Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).
The new team led by Anxiety is trying to come up with many scenarios that she believes would hurt Riley leading to a power struggle in which Joy and her team are cast out along with their symbol of Riley’s Sense of Self that is discarded along with a mountain of bad memories forcing Joy and the gang on a new quest to return to headquarters. It is in this journey where Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust all work together to try and stop Anxiety from creating a sense of chaos where Riley wouldn’t just alienate her friends but also try to win over the team’s captain Val (Lilimar) for a spot in their elite hockey team. The script also has more development in the characters in which Fear, Disgust, and Anger do bring in more ideas with Joy becoming overwhelmed in trying to maintain her optimism while Sadness finds a way to return to headquarters and take control of Joy’s new discarding device that would allow their Sense of Self to return. Still, things become more complicated with Anxiety trying to steer Riley into a place where she feels she can be accepted that only adds to more problems.
Kelsey Mann’s direction is broad in its overall presentation where she expands this world that Riley’s mind is in as there are more islands that represent her personality with the Sense of Self being an underground where memories could be stored in a river and create new threads. With the aid of animation directors David Torres and Amanda Wagner and character designers Dean Heezen and Deanna Marsigliese, Mann creates a world that is vast where the main headquarters where Joy and her team are overseeing Riley’s emotional and mental state while the room where Riley’s memories are planted for the Sense of Self tree is world that is unique until Anxiety and her team would take over where there is a shift in tone in the film as well as the look of the Sense of Self tree that Anxiety has created. Mann’s compositions in the wide and medium shots do add to the sense of wonderment in the world. They include the scenes outside of headquarters where Riley’s memories are stored and archived including a vault where Riley’s secrets are held.
With the aid of cinematographers Adam Habib and Jonathan Pytko, production designer Jason Deamer, along with art directors Rona Liu, Laura Meyer, Keiko Murayama, Joshua West, and Bill Zahn, and visual effects supervisor Sudeep Rangaswamy, Mann would create new variations of worlds including Imagination Land that Joy and Sadness used to go but Anxiety’s arrival has changed things. Joy and the gang would also meet a couple of 2D hand-drawn animated characters in Bloofy (Ron Fuches) who was a character that Riley liked as a kid as well as Floofy’s assistant Pouchy (James Austin Johnson) as it adds to this sense of surrealism to what Joy and her team would deal with. The sense of lighting and mindfulness in Riley’s face adds to the complexity of her emotions where Mann really plays into the ideas of emotional and mental chaos. Even where Joy faces realizations in what Anxiety is trying to do along with Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment where these nine emotions all play a role in Riley in who she is and what she can be. Overall, Mann crafts a rich and evocative film about emotional avatars dealing with the complexities of a girl becoming a teenager.
Editor Maurissa Horwitz does brilliant work with the editing as it is straightforward to play into the humor and action while allowing shots to linger for some of the dramatic moments in the film. Sound designer Ren Klyce and sound editor Coya Elliott do amazing work with the sound as it plays into some unique sound effects as well as how a keyboard sounds in a device that Anxiety uses. The film’s music by Andrea Datzman is wonderful as it features variations of Michael Giacchino’s themes while creating some flourishing and bombastic orchestral pieces along with some electronic bits while the music soundtrack features some mixture of pop and indie music including a song by the Linda Lindas.
The casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is incredible as it features some notable small voice appearances from Flea, Paula Poundstone, and Bobby Moynihan as a few characters Joy and her team bump into, Frank Oz and Dave Goelz as a couple of mind cops, John Ratzenberger and Kirk Thatcher as a couple of construction people who destroy headquarters to create something new for the new avatars, Pete Docter as Dad’s Anger, Paula Pell as Mom’s Anger, Grace Lu and Sumayyah Nuridden-Green as Riley’s best friends in Grace and Bree respectively, Lilimar as the hockey team captain Val, Yvette Nicole Brown as Coach Roberts as the head of the hockey camp who takes the progress of her players seriously, and the duo of Kyle MacLachlan and Diane Lane as Riley’s parents who both deal with the fact that Riley is now a teenager with their emotional avatars realizing they’re about to enter a bumpy ride. The duo of Ron Fuches and James Austin Johnson are fantastic in their respective roles as the 2-D hand-drawn cartoon characters Bloofy and Pouchy whom Joy and her team meet in the back of the mind as they are childhood idols of Riley.
Yong Yea and Steve Purcell are superb in their respective roles as the video game character Lance Slashblade, who was a secret crush of Riley, and Deep Dark Secret as a gigantic figure who prefers to remain mysterious as he represents the deepest darkest secret that Riley does not want anyone to know. June Squibb is amazing in her brief role as a tenth avatar known as Nostalgia who pops in every now and then who arrives too early to be used. Kensington Tallman is excellent as Riley Andersen as the young girl who has become a teenager where she deals with many different emotions as well as a lot of uncertainty that plays into the many mistakes and confusion that teenagers often endure. Paul Walter Hauser and Adele Exarchopoulos are brilliant in their respective roles as the emotional avatars Embarrassment and Ennui with the former not saying much as he’s often shy and flustered over his actions where he unexpectedly bonds with Sadness while the latter is hilarious in how bored she is while having a rubbery look where Exarchopoulos allows Ennui to have some of the funniest lines in the film.
Ayo Edebiri is amazing as Envy as this tiny, cyan-colored avatar that is trying to do whatever she can to make Riley be impressive while is in awe of many things where Edebiri brings a lot of nuances to her voice. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira are incredible in their respective roles as Fear and Disgust with the former being more concerned with Riley’s state of mind while also being prepared for the worst while the latter brings a lot of humor in her own crush towards Slashblade while also dealing with Riley’s growing pains where she also must step up her game in trying to help Riley. Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black are great in their respective roles as Sadness and Anger with the former becoming concerned with what Anxiety is doing where she knows that Riley is going into emotional chaos while she befriends Embarrassment. Black’s voice role as Anger has a lot of humor in the way he overreacts and gets mad at while he also becomes aware of how overwhelmed Joy has become where he helps lead the charge to help Riley.
Maya Hawke is phenomenal in her voice role as Anxiety as this orange-like avatar that is this representation of anxiety that is trying to protect Riley by visualizing the worst possible case scenarios while also doing what she can to make Riley look cool in front of new people. Finally, there’s Amy Poehler in a spectacular voice performance of Joy as the leader of Riley’s emotional gang who is trying to maintain Riley’s emotional/mental state while hoping to discard bad memories as a way to protect her only to find herself in a power struggle with Anxiety as Poehler brings more emotional weight to her character who starts to become overwhelmed while also to coming to terms with the complexity of Riley’s emotional and mental well-being.
Inside Out 2 is a sensational film from Kelsey Mann and Pixar. Featuring a great ensemble voice cast, wondrous visuals, and its exploration of growing pains in the mind of a young teenage girl. The film is a coming-of-age film that does not just explore a girl’s mental state but also the many trials and tribulations that a bunch of emotions must endure to help this young girl’s state of mind as she is growing up and dealing with changes that can be horrifying but also welcoming. In the end, Inside Out 2 is a phenomenal film from Kelsey Mann.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up (2009 film) - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave (2012 film) - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – Coco - The Incredibles 2 - (Onward) – Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) – Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) – (Elio (2024 film)) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2024
Set in 2002 Toronto, the film revolves around a thirteen-year old Chinese-Canadian girl who experiences growing pains as it leads to becoming a red panda with her mother trying to stop the curse from happening at a worst possible time as it plays into expectations and identity for this young girl. It is a film that does play into this young girl coming of age as her issues is sort of a metaphor about young women having their periods when it is really about a relationship between this young girl and her strict and overprotective mother. The film’s screenplay by Domee Shi and Julia Cho is set during a time period when teen-pop music was still hot with teenage girls being into boy-bands with this Chinese-Canadian girl in Meilin “Mei” Lee (Rosalie Chiang) is someone torn with not just pleasing her mother Ming (Sandra Oh) but also wanting to do things other teenage girls do as she and her three fans are big fans of this boy-band known as 4*Town while gaining an attraction for boys.
Ming would discover drawings Mei made over a young convenience store clerk as she would embarrass Mei as it would lead to a dream involving red pandas as Mei would discover herself as a red panda the next morning. For Mei, it comes at the worst time as Ming would discover this and reveal she went through the same thing but claims to have a cure for it as a ritual would be performed on the day of a red moon lunar eclipse. Mei’s friends would discover Mei as a red panda but accepts her problems as they would support her until a game of dodgeball where an antagonistic classmate gets her angry as she becomes the red panda much to the delight of a lot of her classmates who thinks she is the cutest thing. Mei and her friends would use the red panda as a way to raise money to buy concert tickets to see 4*Town while not revealing anything to Ming as the concert is a week before the red moon lunar eclipse yet Ming’s mother/Mei’s grandmother Wu (Wai Ching Ho) is set to arrive in Toronto for the ritual with Mei’s aunts as well where a lot of revelations are unveiled. Even as it play into Ming’s own experiences as the red panda and her own relationship with her mother forcing Mei to make decisions for herself and what she wants.
Shi’s direction is definitely full of lively visuals and lavish presentation as it is set in 2002 Toronto during a lively time in popular culture as it relates to the music teenagers were listening to. Even as there’s a lot of attention to detail in Shi’s direction as it relates to the people living in Toronto as there’s not just Asians but also people of Indian/Pakistani/Punjab descendants, Koreans, African-Canadians, and many others where it is this community where everyone lives together and interact where Mei helps her parents run one of the few Chinese temples in the city. With the aid of animation supervisors Aaron J. Hartline and Patty Kihm as well as production designer Rona Liu, with art directors Jason Deamer, Carlos Felipe Leon Ortiz, Laura Meyer, and Kristian Norelius, in bringing a lot of attention to detail on the look of the Lee’s family temple and the places in and around Toronto. The city is a key character in the film as it play into Mei’s own growth as well as this sense of conflict over doing everything to please the parents or to follow your heart.
Shi’s direction does have a lot of wide shots that often feature shots of CN Tower in the background as well as the Rogers Centre (then known as the SkyDome) with the latter being the centerpiece of the film where 4*Town is to perform. There are some unique close-ups and medium shots that Shi creates in the animation as it plays into Mei’s emotional mood swings such as the moment she discovers she became a red panda as well as her mother’s reaction. The film’s third act relates to not just the ritual that would free Mei from her red panda persona but also this concert that she and her friends want to go to as it plays into a conflict that Mei goes through. Even as there’s revelations about her mother and her own complicated relationship with Mei’s grandmother as it culminates with this moment of a young girl trying to understand her mother and the pressures of a child having to do whatever they can to live their own life but also to please their parents. Overall, Shi crafts a riveting and intoxicating film about a young girl dealing with growing pains by turning into a red panda.
Cinematographers Mahyar Abousaeedi and Jonathan Pytko do amazing work with the film’s cinematography in creating lighting schemes for some of the interior scenes at night as well as the look of the ritual for the film’s climax. Editors Nicholas C. Smith and Steve Bloom do excellent work with the editing in playing up some of the humor and action-inspired moments with some straightforward cuts as well as some stylistic moments. Visual effects supervisor Danielle Feinberg does nice work with the visual effects to help enhance the look of some of the sets as well as creating some effects for some of the filmed video stuff that Mei and her friends create. Sound designer Ren Klyce and co-sound editor Coya Elliott do brilliant work with the sound as it help play into the way music sounds from afar as well as the sound effects in Mei’s transformation into a red panda. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is incredible with its mixture of traditional Chinese instruments and orchestral elements to play into this clash of cultures while its music soundtrack features additional music from Destiny’s Child, DJ Casper, and a couple of Asian boy bands plus original songs by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell for the fictional group 4*Town that features vocals from O’Connell, Jordan Fisher, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, and Grayson Villanueva as the group singing these songs in the style of early 2000s pop music as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is wonderful as it feature some notable small voice contributions from the quartet of Lori Tan Chinn, Lillian Lim, Sherry Cola, and Mia Tagano as Mei’s aunts, Lily Sanfelippo as a classmate in Stacy who is among the first who sees the red panda as she thinks it is cute, Sasha Roiz as one of Mei’s teachers in school, Addie Chandler as a convenience store clerk whom Mei and her friends have a crush on, Tristan Allerick Chen as a classmate named Tyler whom Mei and her friends aren’t fond of as he’s often antagonistic towards them, and James Hong in a terrific small voice role as a local elder in Mr. Gao who helps take part in the ritual as its shaman. Wai Ching Ho is fantastic as Mei’s grandmother/Ming’s mother Wu as a woman who is aware of what is going on with Mei while also trying to reconnect with Ming feeling that there’s unfinished business. Orion Lee is excellent as Mei’s father/Ming’s husband Jin as a man who is often quiet while understanding what is going on yet believes that Ming is expecting too much from Mei where he would discover something about Mei’s time as a red panda that would prove to be inspiring.
The trio of Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Ava Morse are amazing in their respective roles as the aggressive and energetic Korean-Canadian Abby Park, the mellow Indo-Canadian Priya Mangal, and the tomboyish Miriam Mendelsohn as Mei’s best friends who are big fans of 4*Town as they also help Mei with her dilemma despite the fact that Ming thinks they’re a bad influence. Sandra Oh is brilliant as Mei’s mother Ming as a woman who expects the best from her daughter but is also strict and overprotective where she slowly unravels over what Mei becomes as well as not letting Mei be herself. Finally, there’s Rosalie Chiang in an incredible voice performance as Meilin “Mei” Lee as a thirteen-year old Chinese-Canadian teenager who experiences growing pains in the form of a red panda whenever she gets really emotional as she doesn’t just deal with this new identity but also her own issues with her mother but also not wanting to go against her as it is a performance filled with energy and angst.
Turning Red is a phenomenal film from Domee Shi. Featuring a great ensemble voice cast, themes of growing pains and generational conflicts, dazzling visuals, and an amazing music score and soundtrack. The film isn’t just this compelling coming-of-age film that explores a young girl coming of age but also an exploration of the mother-daughter relationship and the expectations parents have towards their children that are overwhelming at times. In the end, Turning Red is a sensational film from Domee Shi.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – Coco (2017 film) - The Incredibles 2 - (Onward) – Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) – (Lightyear) – (Elemental (2023 film)) – Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2023
The film revolves around a middle school music teacher trying to get back to his body after falling down a manhole where he ventures into a world where he meets a young soul that isn’t eager to go to Earth where he shows this young soul what it means to live. It’s a film with a unique premise as it plays into this man who is given the chance of a lifetime to play for a prestigious jazz band in New York City as it’s something he always dreamed of yet the excitement of passing the audition has him falling down this manhole. The film’s screenplay by Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, and Mike Jones do play into this long-held desire that Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) has in wanting to be a jazz pianist ever since he was a teenager but chooses to be a middle school teacher in order to pay the bills as he is reluctant to go full-time. A former student who is playing drums for the respected and revered jazz musician Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett) would get Gardner to audition for her as he passes and then falls into a manhole.
That’s only the first few minutes of the film as the script plays more into the exploration of what it means to live as well as what defines a soul where Joe is supposed to go into the Great Beyond where those who have passed are meant to go but Joe refuses as he finds himself in the Great Before. The Great Before is a place where unborn souls are there to find personalities and everything else that would define them before they enter Earth as Joe is mistaken for an instructor who is given the task to mentor an unwilling soul named 22 (Tina Fey). 22 is a character who had been given many mentors including Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali, Mother Teresa, and many others but none have been able to get through to her about what it means to live as Joe shows her some of the simple ideas including music as they’re aided by a strange mystic known as Moonwind (Graham Norton) to help her out as well as take her to the place of lost souls whom he rescues.
The direction of Pete Docter, with additional contributions by Kemp Powers who is credited as a co-director, does create these massive set pieces in a world that is based on reality that is New York City but also this strange reality that is the Great Beyond, the Great Before, and other worlds where lost souls are recovered. With the help of animation directors Jaime Landes Roe, Gini Cruz Santos, and Royce Wesley, the world that Joe encounters are presented in different styles as the look of New York City as well as some of the places Joe go to each have their own sense of style that has an air of realism but also some beauty thanks to the contributions of the film’s cinematographers Matt Aspbury and Ian Megibben who help create unique lighting schemes in the way rooms are lit in the day and night with production designer Steve Pilcher, along with art directors Paul Abadilla and Tim Evatt, and visual effects supervisor Michael Fong in the creation of the Great Before with its vibrant colors and the world of lost souls that is dark and colorless. The scenes in the Great Before feature characters in these counselors who are called Jerry as they’re presented in this traditional hand-drawn animation style that is unique but also has these offbeat personalities that adds to some of the surreal elements that Joe and 22 encounter.
Docter and Powers also create the subplot as it relates to an accountant named Terry (Rachel House) who always count on those who die and are set to the Great Beyond as she notices that the count is off as it relates to Joe not going to the Great Beyond. The film’s second act is about Joe showing 22 the ideas of living where 22 would experience things that add to the joys of life through simple pleasures and encounters. Docter and Powers provide these moments that definitely echo some of ideas of pure cinema as well as surrealism in its third act as it relates to 22’s journey in trying to find her spark that would allow her to go to Earth and live. Yet, it forces Joe to have some revelations about his own life and his own pursuits of being a jazz musician as he has to help 22 to not only find her own purpose in life but also in just living for the moment and enjoy it. Overall, Docter and Powers create a rich and rapturous film about a music school teacher trying to show a young soul the pleasures and meaning of life.
Editor Kevin Nolting does brilliant work with the editing as it play into some of the humor as well as some of the drama as there is a rhythm to the cutting in its presentation of the music but also in some of the surreal elements of the film. Sound editor Coya Elliott and sound designer Ren Klyce do amazing work in the sound in some of the sound effects that are created as well as the natural sounds of certain locations and how certain objects sound in the things 22 encounters. The film’s jazz music soundtrack by Jon Batiste is incredible in the way it plays into Joe’s life and sense of improvisation in how life works while the electronic music score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for scenes in the Great Beyond and the Great Before is probably the major highlight of the film with its mixture of ambient, throbbing electronics, and discordant industrial textures that adds to the mystical and suspenseful elements of those worlds while its music soundtrack also include pieces from Daveed Diggs, Cody ChestnuTT, Bob Dylan, a cover of the Impressions’ It’s All Right performed by Batiste, and jazz pieces from Walter Norris, Duke Pearson, Duke Ellington, and Dave Brubeck.
The casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is superb as it feature voice appearances and cameos from Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as a subway passenger, Sakina Jeffrey as a doctor, Laura Mooney as a therapy cat owner, Cora Champommier as one of Joe’s students who gets lost in playing the trombone, Margo Hall and Rhodessa Jones as a couple of Joe’s mother’s co-workers, June Squibb as a soul that Joe meets who is about to enter the Great Beyond, Cody ChestnuTT as a subway performer, Daveed Diggs as a frenemy of Joe’s in Paul, Wes Studi, Fortune Feimester, and Zenobia Shroff as soul counselors named Jerry, and Donnell Rawlings as Joe’s barber Dez who has some unique views about life and what he could’ve done but is content with what he’s doing. Angela Bassett is fantastic as the revered jazz musician Dorothea Williams as a saxophonist/band leader who is hoping that Joe gives her what she wants while Questlove is excellent as Joe’s former student Curly who plays drums for Williams and gets Joe the chance to audition for her. Phylicia Rashad is brilliant as Joe’s mother Libba as a seamstress who wants Joe to accept the full-time teaching job and not go after his dream of being a musician knowing what his father had tried to do for years.
Alice Braga and Richard Ayoade are amazing as two soul counselors in the Great Before both called Jerry as Braga is more informative and witty while Ayoade is the funnier one. Rachel House is incredible as the soul counter Terry as an accountant who makes sure the count is precise on those who go to the Great Beyond as she becomes intent on finding Joe. Graham Norton is marvelous as Moonwind who works as a human being sign twirler by day yet is a soul who captures lost souls in the lost world and gets them back as Norton provides a comical and offbeat approach to his character who sails on a ship to the music of Bob Dylan. Tina Fey is phenomenal as 22 as a cynical soul who isn’t eager to go to Earth as she likes to mess with other souls though she reluctantly let Joe mentor her where she realizes that there are things she might want to experience. Finally, there’s Jamie Foxx in a sensational performance as Joe Gardner as a middle-school music teacher who dreams of being a jazz musician and play in a jazz band as he deals with being in a mystical world and to try and guide a young soul about the pleasures of life as he begins to question about aspects of his own life in this endearing voice performance.
Soul is an outstanding film from Pete Docter and Kemp Powers. Featuring a great ensemble voice cast, gorgeous visuals, engaging themes of existential and what makes life worth living, and an exhilarating music score from Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross. It’s a film that isn’t just engaging and full of wit but it’s also a film that allows its audience to understand the ideas of life and what it means to live and enjoy it without trying to be heavy-handed nor be overly-intellectual. In the end, Soul is a magnificent film from Pete Docter and Kemp Powers.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – Coco - The Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2021
Directed by Josh Cooley and screenplay by Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton from a story by Cooley, Folsom, Stanton, John Lasseter, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Valerie LaPointe, and Martin Hynes, Toy Story 4 is the fourth film of the Toy Story film series in which Woody, Buzz, and the old gang adjust to life under their new owner Bonnie who created a new toy out of a plastic spork she named Forky who deals with his being created and being a toy. The film is an unusual road movie of sorts that has Woody trying to help Forky with his new role in which the film deals with existentialism as well as the other lives of toys including Bo Peep who has lived a new life in the world of carnivals. Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Bonnie Hunt, Ally Maki, Jay Hernandez, Blake Clark, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Timothy Dalton, Kristen Schaal, Jeff Carlin, Estelle Harris, and Don Rickles in a posthumous voice appearance as Mr. Potato Head. Toy Story 4 is a majestic and heartwarming film from Josh Cooley and Pixar.
The film is about a group of toys trying to help a newly-created toy made out of a plastic spork named Forky (Tony Hale) adjust to his new role though he considers himself to be trash only for Woody (Tom Hanks) to try and show him the importance of his role to their owner Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). It’s a film that explores the idea of being a toy where Woody is aware that he’s being phased out unintentionally as he knows that Bonnie is having a hard time adjusting to growing up and going to kindergarten. The film’s screenplay by Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton explores not just Woody’s anxiety to make sure that Bonnie will be fine through this toy she made in Forky but also to see a world where toys can do so much more. Notably as Woody and the gang go on a road trip with Bonnie and her parents (Jay Hernandez and Lori Alan) where Woody notices Forky’s attempt to kill himself as he still thinks he’s trash. When Forky does escape from the RV and Woody tries to save him, they walk down to the nearest town where Woody discovers an old lamp at an antique store that his previous owner’s sister used to have.
It is in this town he reunites with Bo Peep (Annie Potts) whom he hadn’t seen in nine years after being given away to a new owner along with her three sheep as she has made a comfortable life traveling with a carnival of toys including the Canadian stunt toy Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), a couple of plush toys in Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele), and a pocket toy cop named Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki) who would help Woody retrieve Forky with Buzz joining to find Woody at the carnival as Forky meets a doll named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) who seems like an evil toy but is really an anti-hero as someone who never had a proper voice box nor was ever really played with. Caboom is a toy that believed to have failed his previous owner due to his inability to perform the stunts the commercial claimed the toy could do. It all play into this idea of existence which is quite bold for a film whose target audience is mainly children yet knows how to approach it without being too heavy-handed or complicated.
Josh Cooley’s direction opens with a flashback scene set nine years before the events of the main narrative is when Bo Peep and her sheep along with its lamp is being taken away where Woody has a conversation with Bo before her departure after saving R.C. from being swept down a drain storm. It then shifts into the journey that Woody, Buzz, Jessie (Joan Cusack), Mr. Potato Head, Mrs. Potato Head (Estelle Harris), Slinky the Dog (Blake Clark), Hamm (John Ratzenberger), the Pizza Planet aliens (Jeff Pidgeon), and Rex (Wallace Shawn) had taken as they would become part of a new family with Dolly (Bonnie Hunt), Trixie (Kristen Schaal), Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton), and Buttercup (Jeff Garlin) with Bonnie as their owner. With the aid of animation director Aaron J. Hartline, Cooley does broaden the scale more as it relates to the world that Woody and the gang embark on in this road trip while they’re keeping watch on Forky who is convinced he is trash where Cooley’s direction would maintain some intimate compositions in the close-ups and medium shots for conversations between Woody and Forky.
Cooley’s usage of the wide shots play into the scope of the world that Woody and the gang go to which is a traveling carnival along with a nearby antique store where Gabby Gabby and her army of ventriloquist dummies in the Bensons live in. With the aid of cinematographers Patrick Lin and Jean-Claude Kalache, Cooley would maintain a visual atmosphere inside the store including a few places that Bo knows where to go and hide while the exteriors of the carnival at night are among some of the great visual elements of the film. It add to the drama that Woody has to endure upon in his attempt to retrieve Forky where he also has to come to terms with the fact about all toys when they’re being phased out where Bo offers him a world that proves to be just as lively. Even as he would get Forky to understand his role and Buzz to take on a bigger role for Bonnie as it all play into the importance of toys in a child’s development but also what toys can do without their owners and help other toys. Overall, Cooley crafts a touching yet intoxicating film about toys dealing with their roles while helping a hand-crafted toy understand about his identity.
Editor Axel Gedde does excellent work with the editing as it play into some of the humor and drama with its usage of rhythmic cuts as well as a montage of Forky trying to destroy himself. Production designer Bob Pauley and art director Laura Phillips do amazing work with the look of the interior of the antique store as well as the design of the carnival and its rides as it add to the visual splendor of the film. Sound designer Ren Klyce and co-supervising sound editor Coya Elliott do fantastic work with the sound in some of the sound effects that are created as well as the layers of sound in the carnival scenes along with the broken voice box of Gabby Gabby. The film’s music by Randy Newman is brilliant for its mixture of lush orchestral music with a French-inspired theme for Caboom in his flashback and bits of country including a few original songs by Newman where one of them is performed by Chris Stapleton.
The casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is incredible as it feature voice appearances from Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea as a Duke Caboom commercial announcer, Bill Hader as a carny named Axel, Alan Oppenheimer as a clock known as Old Timer, Mel Brooks as dusty old elephant in Melephant Brooks, Patricia Arquette as the mother of a young girl named Harmony, Carl Reiner as a dusty rhino in Carl Reineroceros, Carol Burnett as a dusty chair named Chairol Burnett, Betty White as a toy named Bitey White, Lila Sage Bromley as a young girl named Harmony, Melissa Villasenor as Bonnie’s kindergarten teacher Karen Beverly, Ricky Henderson as a bobblehead figure of himself, John Morris and Jack McGraw in their respective roles as the older and younger version of Andy, and Laurie Metcalf as Andy’s mom in the flashback scene.
Other noteworthy appearances in voice roles include Jay Hernandez and Lori Alan as Bonnie’s parents, Carl Weathers as miniature versions of the toy Combat Carl, June Squibb as the antiques owner, Emily Davis as the trio of Bo Peep’s sheep, and Steve Purcell as the ventriloquist dummies in the Benson Dummies. Reprising their roles from previous entries, the voice performances of Jeff Garlin as the unicorn Buttercup, Bonnie Hunt as the doll Dolly, Kristen Schaal as the triceratops Trixie, Timothy Dalton as the hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants, Wallace Shawn as the T-rex Rex, Blake Clark as the slinky toy-dog Slinky, John Ratzenberger as the piggy bank Hamm, Joan Cusack as cow-girl Jessie with her horse Bulls-eye, Estelle Harris, as Mrs. Potato Head, and Don Rickles via archival material as Mr. Potato Head as they’re all fantastic with Cusack as the standout as Jessie rallying the toys with Rickles being one of two individuals that includes animator Adam Burke whom the film is dedicated to.
Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are excellent in their respective roles as the stuffed plush toys Ducky and Bunny as they both provide some great comic relief as two toys who have never been played with as they cause a lot of mayhem. Christina Hendricks is brilliant as the doll Gabby Gabby as a toy who had never been played with due to a faulty talk box as she is eager to have Woody’s talk box in the hope of being played with. Keanu Reeves is incredible as Duke Caboom as a Canadian daredevil toy that is known for his poses but is also filled with doubt as it relates to his inability to live up to expectations for his old owner. Madeleine McGraw is wonderful as Bonnie as a young girl who is dealing with growing pains as she becomes attached to her creation in Forky while becoming worried about his whereabouts. Ally Maki is amazing as the tiny pocket toy Giggle McDimples as a toy who is known for her giggles yet is also Bo Peep’s side kick of sorts as she is funny as well as being cool.
Tony Hale is marvelous as Forky as a spork turned into a toy by Bonnie as he copes with his anxieties and being about being a toy as all he’s known for is trash where he later understands the role of being a toy and his importance in Bonnie’s development as a person. Annie Potts is remarkable as Bo Peep as an old toy of Andy’s who has lived a new life traveling in the world of carnivals where she has found a new purpose to help out toys but also see the world. Tim Allen is sensational as Buzz Lightyear as the space toy who is Woody’s best friend as he deals with his own identity as someone that needs to be a leader and help Bonnie out in her development as he also copes his own identity as a toy. Finally, there’s Tom Hanks in a phenomenal performance as Woody as this cowboy toy who starts to realize that he is being phased out as he tries to help out Forky with his identity as he also tries to maintain his importance only to realize that there is so much out there as it is a great performance from Hanks.
Toy Story 4 is a tremendous film from Josh Cooley and Pixar. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a sumptuous music score, and touching themes on existentialism and growing up. It’s a film that definitely does a lot to explore how much toys mean to children as well as the idea of being a toy in a touching and somber way. In the end, Toy Story 4 is a spectacular film from Josh Cooley and Pixar.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – Coco - The Incredibles 2 - (Onward) – Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Lee Unkrich and screenplay by Unkrich and Adrian Molina from a story by Unkrich, Molina, Matthew Aldrich, and Jason Katz, Coco is the story of a 12-year old boy whose encounter with mysterious ghostly spirits accidentally transports him to the Land of the Dead where he tries to find his great-great-grandfather to return him to the living world. Inspired by the Mexican holiday in the Day of the Dead, the film is look of a boy wanting to know about his family’s roots as well as those who lived before his time. Featuring the voices of Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renee Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguia, and Edward James Olmos. Coco is a rapturous and touching film from Lee Unkrich.
Set in a small town in Mexico just before the Day of the Dead, the film is about a 12-year old boy who has a love for music and idolizes a famed musician despite his family’s hatred for it as it relates to some family secrets where the boy later encounters the spirit where he finds himself in the Land of the Dead. It’s a film that play into a boy who has a love for music but doesn’t want to upset his family as he’s trying to keep it a secret. The film's screenplay by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina follows the journey that Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) embarks on as he lives with a large family who makes shoes at their small town but they have a disdain for music dating back to their ancestors when Miguel’s great-great-grandfather left his wife Imelda (Alanna Ubach) to pursue a music career as Miguel believes his great-great-grandfather is the famed musician Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt).
Wanting to participate in a talent contest, Miguel runs away from his family where he tries to borrow de la Cruz’s guitar from his tomb as he finds himself in the Land of the Dead where he would meet his relatives including his great-great grandmother Imelda who tries to get him to return only if he doesn’t become a musician. The script has Miguel not just learn about family’s importance but also what it means to be great musician where he meets a dead trickster in Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) who claims to know de la Cruz where they make a deal as Hector is eager to go to the land of the living to visit his daughter in the hopes he won’t be forgotten. During their journey together, Miguel would learn some big secrets about his family as well as why Imelda and Coco were abandoned as they reach de la Cruz’s home where he’s having his annual ceremony as more revelations occur about Miguel and his family.
Lee Unkrich’s direction is definitely astonishing in terms of the world he creates of the living as well as the Land of the Dead where it has a lot of attention to detail about the holiday that is the Day of the Dead. With the animation directors Guilherme Sauerbronn Jacinto and Nickolas Rosario, along with animation supervisors Gini Cruz Santos and Michael Venturini, Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina provide a look and tone that play into this air of tradition that is celebrated annually in Mexico. It’s a celebration of loved ones who aren’t around anymore as pictures and murals are presented with the living offering food or something special where the spirits of the dead would take it as they cross over from the Land of the Dead to the world of the living as spirits. When Miguel takes a strum of de la Cruz’s guitar, it would transport him to the Land of the Dead as it’s a world that is about the celebration of life where Unkrich’s compositions in its wide and medium shots capture it with such grand detail.
The direction also create these compositions and matching images as it play into the movies that de la Cruz starred in as well as what Miguel would match as he plays music like the man whom he believes is his great-great grandfather. The animation takes great attention to detail in some of the spiritual creatures that Miguel meets as a street dog named Dante would join him in the journey who seems to know more than he lets on. The meeting between Miguel and de la Cruz is tremendous in its scale but it also play into secrets about Miguel’s family including his great-grandmother Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguia) whose memory is fading away. It adds to the stakes of what Miguel has to do to get home with the help of his deceased relatives who deal with revelations about their misfortunes. Even as they have to accept the power of music that can bring someone back to life and bring a family together. Overall, Unkrich and Molina create a dazzling yet heartfelt film about a boy whose love for music brings him into a journey to the dead in order to help his family.
Cinematographers Matt Aspbury and Danielle Feinberg do amazing work with the look of the lighting and backgrounds of some of the interiors at the places in the Land of the Dead including de la Cruz’s home with its usage of colorful lighting and shades. Editors Lee Unkrich and Steve Bloom do excellent work with the editing as its usage of rhythmic cuts help play into the drama and humor with some flashback montages to establish key moments in the film. Production designer Harley Jessup and art director Tim Evatt do incredible work with the look of the buildings and the bridge of orange petals with help from visual effects supervisor Michael O’Brien in adding some textures including the look of the old movies starring de la Cruz.
Sound designer Christopher Boyes does amazing work with the sound as it help play into the way a guitar string is tuned as well as the sounds of the spirit creatures in the Land of the Dead. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is phenomenal for its mixture of lush orchestral music and traditional-based Mexican mariachi music that play into the drama and sense of adventure as the music soundtrack that is cultivated by music supervisor Tom MacDougall feature an array of original songs composed Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Germaine Franco and Adrian Molina with Michael Giacchino, and some traditional pieces as the music is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Carla Hool, Natalie Lyon, and Kevin Reher is superb as it feature some notable small roles and voice appearances from Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as dental patient crossing over to the land of the living, Natalia Cordova-Buckley as the famed artist Frida Kahlo, Carla Medina as the departure agent, Cheech Marin as a corrections officer, Gabriel Iglesias as a clerk working at the Land of the Dead, Lombardo Boyar in a dual role as a mariachi Miguel meets in his small town and a musician from the Land of the Dead, Luis Valdez in a dual role as Miguel’s uncle Tio Berto and Don Hidalgo, Sofia Espinosa and Jaime Camil as Miguel’s parents, Herbert Siguenza as Miguel’s late identical twin uncles in Tios Oscar and Felipe, Selene Luna as Miguel’s late aunt Tia Rosita, and Alfonso Arau as Miguel’s late great-grandfather/Coco’s husband in Papa Julio.
Edward James Olmos is terrific as Hector’s friend Chicharron who lives in a world of those who are being forgotten where Miguel learns about Hector’s fate if he is to be forgotten. Ana Ofelia Murguia is wonderful in her brief role as Miguel’s great-grandmother Coco as a woman whom Miguel spends a lot of time with as he’s convinced she’s waiting for someone. Renee Victor is fantastic as Miguel’s grandmother who runs the family shoemaking shop as well as be the family’s lead enforcer in ensuring that music isn’t around the family. Alanna Ubach is brilliant as Miguel’s great-great-grandmother Mama Imelda who is also Coco’s mother as a woman that is trying to get Miguel home but also carries some family secrets about why she dislikes music where she later is forced to deal with the revelations that tore her family apart.
Benjamin Bratt is amazing as Ernesto de la Cruz as the famed singer who was considered the greatest artist in all of Mexico as he is believed to be Miguel’s great-great-grandfather where he’s a man that loves what he does but is ambiguous about how he became so famous. Gael Garcia Bernal is incredible as Hector as a trickster that is trying to cross to the land of the living to see someone important whom he believes would remember him as he helps Miguel to find de la Cruz as he claims to know him leading to some major revelations for Miguel. Finally, there’s Anthony Gonzalez in a sensational performance as Miguel as 12-year old boy that loves music and wants to play music where he finds himself in the Land of the Dead and hopes to get the blessing of the man he believes is his great-great-grandfather to become a musician so he can return to the land of the living where he would learn the importance of family as well as sacrifice.
Coco is an outstanding film from Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina. Featuring a great ensemble cast, rapturous visuals, a heartfelt music soundtrack, and touching themes about the importance of family. It’s unquestionably one of Pixar’s best films but also a film that manages to embody the idea of family and how to celebrate those who are no longer around but remain alive in spirit and through love. In the end, Coco is a magnificent film from Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – The Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Brad Bird, Incredibles 2 is a sequel to the 2004 film about a family of superheroes who come out of hiding to fight supervillains as they deal with trying to win back the support of the public for past mistakes as well as deal with a secret supervillain. The film is an exploration of family dynamics as a family cope with trying to rehabilitate their image as well as maintain their life as a family. Featuring the voices of Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Vowell, Catherine Keener, Bob Odenkirk, Sophia Bush, Brad Bird, Michael Bird, Huck Milner, Jonathan Banks, Phil LaMarr, and Isabella Rossellini. Incredibles 2 is a riveting and exciting film from Brad Bird.
Bao
Directed by Domee Shi, Bao is the story of a Chinese mother who deals with loneliness following the departure of her son to college as a dumpling she created comes to life. It’s a film with a simple premise that plays into a woman’s sense of loss and longing as it play into the idea of a child growing and what a mother would often expect. All of which is told in a simple yet calm manner through its rich animation as well as being accompanied by Teddy Chu’s understated yet rapturous score that rely on traditional Chinese string music and woodwinds. It is truly a spectacular short film that is moving as well as being engaging and funny.
Incredibles 2
The film picks up where the previous film left off where the Parr family find themselves fighting a supervillain in the Underminer (John Ratzenberger) as they succeed in saving the city but the damage that was created accidentally by the Incredibles left the family in trouble as superheroes are still forbidden by law. It’s a film that is about the Incredibles trying to get back in the game with the help of a telecommunications tycoon who wants to get superheroes back in the world seeing that they can still make the world safer. Yet, it would lead to a change in dynamics as Helen Parr/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) is chosen to be the representative to bring superheroes back into public eye while Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) stays at the family’s new home to watch over the kids as he deals with being a full-time father and not doing superhero work. Brad Bird’s screenplay doesn’t just play into Bob’s struggle with raising three children including the baby Jack-Jack who is starting to gain multiple superpowers. It’s also the fact that Helen was chosen instead of him as he’s forced to realize that he isn’t the right choice due to the damages he accidentally causes in trying to save everyone.
Bob’s arc is the most interesting aspect of the film where he is seen out of his comfort zone as he tries to help Dash (Huck Milner) with his math homework and to not get into trouble while Violet (Sarah Vowell) is dealing with growing pains as it would relate to the fact that her crush Tony Rydinger (Michael Bird) doesn’t know who she is due to the fact that his memory was erased over the Underminer incident. It’s where the kids realize how much they miss their mother as Helen is doing work for Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) who is willing to help the superheroes get their jobs back as he felt the superhero ban was unjust due to the fact that his father was killed by a robber. Helping Helen in her new work is Winston’s sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener) who would create some new technology as she feels underappreciated for her work as she and Helen bond as the latter is trying to discover of the identity of this mysterious villain known as the Screenslaver. The Screenslaver is an unusual antagonist whose intent is to control everyone and is against superheroes wanting to return in order to stabilize the status quo.
Bird’s direction is definitely grand in terms of the world that the Parrs are in as it does start off with this battle with the Underminer as they’re aided by longtime family friend Lucius Best/Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) in stopping his machine from wreaking havoc. It is a massive set piece that play into the strengths of the family but also for the fact that Dash and Violet are still new in the superhero game as they have to watch over Jack-Jack while their parents and Frozone stop the Underminer. Bird’s usage of the wide shots play into the scope of these action set pieces as it include this intense scene of Helen trying to stop a train from going out of control as its engineer was unknowingly controlled by the Screenslaver. It’s a sequence that play into Bird’s approach to action including this massive climax as it relates to the Screenslaver and its power on everyone which feature some unique hypnotic lighting where Bird and animation director Travis Hathaway use it as a way for Screenslaver’s desire for control.
Bird’s direction for Bob’s arc is more intimate with its medium shots and some close-ups as it play into his struggle in trying to keep up with Jack-Jack’s growing powers that include a comical sequence of Jack-Jack fighting with a raccoon. The sequence of Bob taking Jack-Jack to Edna Mode (Brad Bird) is also comical for how Edna reacts to Jack-Jack as someone she believes can inspire her to create better costumes while being upset that Helen is given a new one without her consent. Bird also knows when to create these small moments as it relates to Bob trying to understand Violet’s growing pains as well as finding his footing as a dad where he can be himself and Mr. Incredible. It all play into the idea of the family dynamic as Helen’s time away from her family has her needing them once she deals with the Screenslaver whose plans for control is at great risk prompting the Incredibles, Frozone, and other superheroes to go out there and fight for the good of the world. Overall, Bird crafts an exhilarating yet engrossing film about a family of superheroes trying to get back in the game as well as balance their lives as themselves.
Cinematographer Mahyar Abousaeedi does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in creating moods and shading for many of the animated sequences as well as things look at night and in the day. Editor Stephen Schaffer does amazing work with the editing as it help play into the intensity and craziness of the action scenes through some fast cutting as well as slowing things down in straightforward cuts for the dramatic and comedic scenes. Production designer Ralph Eggleston and art director Josh Holtsclaw do fantastic work with the look of the city as well as the new home of the Parrs as well as the office building that the Deavors live in Sound designer Ren Klyce and co-sound editor Coya Elliott do superb work with the sound in creating some effects for some of the weapons, Jack-Jack’s voice based on archives from the previous film, and superpowers as well as the effects in Screenslaver’s images. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is great for its jazzy score with elements of horns, strings, and percussions as it help play into the air of excitement as well as some smooth and heavy pieces for the suspenseful moments as it’s a highlight of the film.
The voice casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is wonderful as it include some notable small roles from John Ratzenberger as the Underminer, Kimberly Adair Clark as Lucius’ wife Honey, Bill Wise as the mysterious Screenslaver, Paul Eiding as an aging superhero named Reflux, Phil LaMarr in dual roles as the superheroes Krushauser and Helectrix, Michael Bird as Violet’s crush Tony Rydinger, Jonathan Banks as the Parrs’ old government friend Rick Dicker who tries to help them while dealing with the loss of his job, and Sophia Bush as a young superheroine named Voyd who idolizes Elastigirl as she can get objects to disappear and reappear through different dimensional voids. Brad Bird is fantastic in the voice role of Edna Mode as the fashion designer who creates superhero costumes as she helps Bob deal with Jack-Jack whom she sees as a muse while creating a tracking device to anticipate his growing powers. Isabella Rossellini is terrific in a small but memorable voice role as the Ambassador as a foreign official who is eager to get them back in service while befriending Elastigirl.
Bob Odenkirk is superb as Winston Deavor as a telecommunications mogul who wants to help Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and Frozone get back into the game in the hopes of bringing superheroes back into the world as he’s also a hardcore fan of the superheroes. Catherine Keener is brilliant as Evelyn Deavor as Winston’s older sister who is a tech genius and creates all of the gadgets yet feels underappreciated for her work while at least getting some compliments from Elastigirl. Huck Milner is excellent as Dash Parr as the boy with super-speed who is trying to be a good kid despite being a troublemaker as well as trying to solve math problems. Sarah Vowell is amazing as Violet Parr as a teenage girl who can turn invisible and create force-fields as she starts to deal with growing pains as well as uncertainty in wanting to be a superhero.
Samuel L. Jackson is remarkable as Lucius Best/Frozone as a superhero with the ability to create ice and freeze things who is first recruited Deavor into getting the superheroes back on the job while he also helps Bob deal with Jack-Jack’s growing powers. Craig T. Nelson is marvelous as Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible as a hero of great strength who deals with sitting at home to watch over the kids as he laments his own bruised ego and shortcomings as a father forcing him to find his balance. Finally, there’s Holly Hunter in a phenomenal performance as Helen Parr/Elastigirl as a heroine with the ability to stretch her body parts into anything as someone who is given the chance to bring heroes back into the public eye while dealing with the mysterious foe in the Screenslaver as she suspects that something isn’t right.
Incredibles 2 is a film that definitely lives up to its incredible namesake thanks in part to Brad Bird’s sprawling vision as well as a spectacular voice cast. Along with its gorgeous visuals, Michael Giacchino’s thrilling score, and a mixture of genres that blend together to create something entertaining and compelling. It’s a film that manages to provide so much in the idea of what a superhero film can be as well as showcase the life outside of a superhero that is trying to find that balance in being both a hero and a regular person. In the end, Incredibles 2 is a sensational film from Brad Bird and Pixar.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – Coco – Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Peter Sohn and screenplay by Meg LaFauve from a screen story by Sohn, LaFauve, Bob Peterson, Erick Benson, and Kelsey Mann from an idea by Bob Peterson (with additional material by Peter Hedges and Adrian Molina), The Good Dinosaur is the story of a dinosaur who meets a young cave boy as they travel through mysterious landscapes so they can return home. The film is set in an alternate universe where dinosaurs aren’t extinct as it play into a dinosaur coming of age while helping a young cave boy. Featuring the voices of Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, A.J. Buckley, Steve Zahn, Jeffrey Wright, and Frances McDormand. The Good Dinosaur is a wondrous and majestic film from Peter Sohn and Pixar Animation Studios.
Set some million years after an asteroid had missed hitting planet Earth that would’ve caused the extinction of dinosaurs, the film revolves around a young Apatosaurus who is consumed by fear for much of his life as he falls down a river only to saved and protected by a young cave boy as they make a journey to return home. It’s a film that is a simple story of a young dinosaur trying to conquer through his fear as well as the fact that it’s about a dinosaur trying to make his own mark with a family of Apatosaurus creatures who are essentially farmers. For the young Arlo (Raymond Ochoa), he is trying to find his place as a farmer but when meeting this cave boy that he would eventually call Spot (Jack Bright. Arlo would eventually go into an adventure where he would meet other dinosaurs as it would play into his development from a young scared dinosaur to someone who would learn about being brave but also realize that it is OK to be scared.
Peter Sohn’s direction is truly mesmerizing for the way he presents the world that is evolving yet kind of peaceful as it’s really just dinosaurs living their lives as the family that Arlo is part of. The film opens with the shot of planet Earth as it was back in the days when dinosaurs as an asteroid is about to enter the Earth’s atmosphere only to pass by it as the dinosaurs get a glimpse and continue to do what they do. Sohn’s usage of the wide and medium shots showcases a world that is quite beautiful as well as have something that is quite prosperous in what Arlo’s family does as farmers. There is something that is light-hearted and comedic in the first act in what Sohn does but when the second act begins where Arlo has to go into his own journey when chasing Spot over a handmade silo that his father had built had been opened. The film becomes not just an adventure story but also a coming-of-age story where Arlo has to contend with his surroundings but with the help of Spot.
With the aid of cinema Sharon Calahan and Mahyar Abousaeedi and production designer Harley Jessup, the film has a very evocative look into the way the many locations look like as well as in their lighting. Notably in scenes where Arlo’s father (Jeffrey Wright) shows him the beauty of overcoming one’s fear through fireflies as it is one of these little moments that are touching. Sohn would also create sequences that are rich in its imagery that include a sequence where Arlo and Spot meet a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes as has this great depth of field into the landscape as it is also a character-changing moment for Arlo. Especially in what he would have to do to show who he is and what he can do to show that he can no longer be afraid. Overall, Sohn crafts an exhilarating yet heartwarming film about a young dinosaur overcoming his fear to help a young cave boy.
Editor Stephen Schaffer does excellent work with the editing as it feature some unique rhythmic cuts to play into some of the suspense and adventure as well as in some of the drama. Sound designer Craig Berkey does brilliant work with the sound as it help create textures into the sounds of the way the flash floods would sound as well as some of the spare aspects of nature. The film’s music by Jeff and Mychael Danna is amazing for its music score that mixes elements of folk, country, and orchestral pieces to play into some of the serene moments in the film as well as some of the adventurous moments.
The voice casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is fantastic as it feature some notable vocal contributions from Pixar regular John Katzenberger as well as Dave Boat, Calum Mackenzie Grant, and Carrie Paff as a group of Velociraptors trying to steal a herd of longhorns from the T-rexes while director Peter Sohn is terrific as a Styracosaurus named Forrest who is kind of this chameleon-like dinosaur. Other notable small voice roles include Marcus Scribner and Maleah Padilla in their respective roles as Arlo’s sibling’s Buck and Libby, Mandy Freund and Steve Clay Hunter as a couple of pterodactyls, and Steve Zahn in a superb voice performance as a fearless but crazy pterodactyl named Thunderclap. Anna Paquin and A.J. Buckley are fantastic in their respective roles as the young T-rexes in Ramsey and Nash who are quite wild and full of joy while Sam Elliott is excellent as their father Butch who is this grizzled Tyrannosaurus Rex that gives Arlo some wisdom about fear as well as the confidence that fear can be overcome as well as be OK to be scared.
While he doesn’t get to say much, Jack Bright’s voice performance as Spot does have a lot of life as a boy who is quite wild but is also dazzled by the wonderment of his surroundings. Frances McDormand and Jeffrey Wright are brilliant in their roles as Arlo’s parents with McDormand as this sense of warmth who guide her children on what to do to earn their mark while Wright has this weariness yet determination as a father trying to guide his son to overcome his fear as well as find himself. Finally, there’s Raymond Ochoa in an amazing vocal performance as Arlo as this young Apatosaurus who has dealt with a lot of fear in his life as he exudes all of the growing pains any young person faces while he would eventually become someone brave as well as show what it takes to overcome fear.
The Good Dinosaur is a phenomenal film from Peter Sohn. It’s a film that features a story that is just compelling and relatable to a wide audience as well as filled with gorgeous visuals, a strong voice cast, and incredible music as it’s one of Pixar’s finest films. In the end, The Good Dinosaur is a sensational film from Peter Sohn.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen and screenplay by Docter, Meg LaFauve, and Josh Cooley from a story Docter and del Carmen, Inside Out is the story about five figures representing different emotions who observe a young girl who copes with moving to a new city as they embark onto an adventure. The film explores not just a family dealing with a new move as it is largely told by emotional spirits who observe everything that is happening in these ongoing changes in life. Featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Lane, and Kaitlyn Dias. Inside Out is a compelling yet evocative film from Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen.
Lava
Written and directed by James Ford McMurphy, Lava is a musical short film that revolves a volcano falling in love. It is a simple short story where a volcano is singing to find someone to love as he often sees two of everything while being unaware that there’s a volcano under the sea looking for him. It’s a visually-exhilarating and evocative short film that features the voices of Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig as these volcanoes as they both sing the song continuously which is presented in a traditional Hawaiian presentation. The result isn’t just one of Pixar’s finest shorts but also a love story that manages to be so much more.
Inside Out
The film revolves around the five emotions inside the mind of a young girl as she copes with moving from Minnesota to San Francisco as things go wrong prompting two key emotional figures to retrieve some core memories that define this young girl. It’s a story that is about a young girl growing up and coping with changes in her life as she struggles to adapt to her new situation only to act out in ways she couldn’t understand. Most notably as her two main emotions in Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) struggle to retrieve core emotions from a world of long-term emotions where Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Fear (Bill Hader), and Anger (Lewis Black) are forced to take over where things go wrong. Even as they would try to do something to make her happy again but realize that all five emotions need each.
The film’s screenplay does start off with the birth of Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) and the emergence of Joy who would be the leader of controlling Riley’s emotions as she is later joined by Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger. Joy would also make sure that Riley’s most important moment would emerge as they would represent core memories and special islands that represent her personality. When Riley is forced to move from Minnesota to San Francisco with her parents (Kyle MacLachlan and Diane Lane), things become complicated where Joy tries to maintain control but an incident where Sadness touches a core memory orb would trouble things as an attempt to discard it would force Joy and Sadness out of their headquarters and into the world where Riley’s long term memories are at. The script doesn’t just have elements of adventure but also drama and humor as there is a balance to the many things that occur in the film. Most notably as the five emotional figures are well-rounded characters who are just trying to manage a young girl’s emotional state.
The direction of Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen is quite vast in not just their approach to the world that Riley and her family is in but how it’s viewed from her emotional figures. It is presented with a richness in the 3D-computer animation style as it plays into not just the world that these characters are in but also what they need to do. Though much of what Riley experience is controlled by Joy, the sense of curiosity from Sadness would be the catalyst for what is to come. Most notably as it plays into the sense of change that Riley would encounter in San Francisco ranging from all sorts of things include veggie pizza, not having things at the home already, and not feeling the need to play hockey. It plays into not just a girl growing up but finding herself at odds with her surroundings as she becomes moody where Anger, Disgust, and Fear try to make her happy but a lot of comical hi-jinks ensue and more.
The direction also plays into some very strange moments where Joy and Sadness meet with an old imaginary friend of Riley in Bing Bong (Richard Kind) where they try to catch a train to the headquarters as the stop into a world that is literally abstract. It plays into things that these emotions aren’t able to comprehend as they’re growing along with Riley where Joy is forced to come to terms that she can’t control everything. What would happen wouldn’t just be moments that are very emotional but also some realization that all of these emotions have to be together help develop a person in its growth despite all of the growing pains this young girl would go through. Overall, Docter and del Carmen create a sprawling yet riveting film about a group of emotions watching the development of a young girl.
Editor Kevin Nolting does excellent work by going for something straightforward with some montages for the film‘s opening pre-credits sequence that plays into the life of young Riley. Production designer Ralph Eggleston and art director Bert Berry do amazing work with the look of the headquarters where the emotions do their job as well as the land outside of headquarters and the dark abyss in between. Sound designer Ren Klyce and sound editor Shannon Mills do fantastic work with the sound from the sound effects that occur in the world outside of headquarters as well as the places that Riley goes to. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino does brilliant work with the film’s music as it features an orchestral score that is very playful as well as some quirky elements that play into its humor and themes to play into its sense of despair.
The casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is incredible as it features voice work from Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as a cloud, Bobby Moynihan and Paula Poundstone as a couple of forgetters who suck out fading long-term memories, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea as a mind-worker cop, Frank Oz and Dave Goelz as a couple of security guards, Paula Pell in a dual role as a dream director and the mother’s anger, Josh Cooley as the fear manifestation in the form of a clown, Lori Alan as mother’s sadness, Pete Docter as father’s anger, Rashida Jones as a cool girl’s various voices of emotions, and Carlos Alazraqui in a dual voice role as father’s fear and an imaginary Brazilian helicopter pilot. Richard Kind is terrific as the voice of an old imaginary friend named Bing Bong who helps Joy and Sadness find their way back as he also hopes that Riley would remember him. Kyle MacLachlan and Diane Lane are superb as Riley’s parents who deal with Riley’s sudden moodiness as it relates to their new living situation and changes in their life. Kaitlyn Dias is amazing as the voice of Riley as an 11-year old girl who deals with growing pains and changes in her life as Dias brings a realist approach to anyone who has deal with growing pains in that age.
Lewis Black is brilliant as Anger as he represents someone that knows when to push buttons as he comes up with a plan that he thinks will get Riley to become happy. Bill Hader is hilarious as Fear as someone who is constantly scared as he always list things that should go wrong on a certain day. Mindy Kaling is excellent as Disgust as a manifestation who makes Riley say no to broccoli and other things while giving Riley things not to like. Phyllis Smith is phenomenal as Sadness where Smith brings a lot of emotional weight and curiosity to the role as it adds a balance to Riley’s emotional turmoil. Finally, there’s Amy Poehler in a remarkable voice performance as Joy as the upbeat head of emotions who tries to maintain some control unaware of how troubled Riley is in her growing pains forcing her to grow up a bit as it’s that great mix of humor and realism in Poehler’s voice.
Inside Out is a tremendous film from Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen as it is definitely one of Pixar’s finest films. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore the idea of growing pains but also one that is told through various emotions that try to cope with changing times and changing worlds. It’s also a film that manages to be so much in terms of bending genres as well as be something that kids and adults could relate to in terms of growing up and change. In the end, Inside Out is a magnificent film from Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen, and Pixar.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2015
