Movie Review - The Addams Family (2019 film)

I first heard of the Addams Family when I watch reruns of the old black and white TV series. I really enjoyed the kookie dark nature of it, and it had a killer theme song. Later I discovered the original gag cartoons it was based on and really enjoyed the line work.

The Addams Family is a 2019 cgi comedy film featuring gag comic characters created by Charles Addams. It is rated PG and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Visuals. From the character designs to the production design, this film looks really nice. It's faithful to the original comics while being very contemporary.

Story. The story was pretty good and well paced. All of the twists were obvious as was the ending, but there was enough charm and cleverness that that was okay.

Cleverness. The filmmakers spent some time thinking up some clever gags and charming twists to put into the film that make it fun.

The Bad

Heavy Handedness. The message of this movie is so heavy handed. There is even a song in the middle that literally spells out the message. People are not that stupid, not even little children. The filmmakers need to give the audience some credit.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

More cleverness and less preaching.

Overall

The Addams Family (2019 film) is a clever and fun film. From the character designs to the production design, this film looks really nice. It's faithful to the original comics while being very contemporary. The story was pretty good and well paced. All of the twists were obvious as was the ending, but there was enough charm and cleverness that that was okay. What wasn't okay was the heavy-handed message that different is good. They literally have a song in the middle that spells it out multiple times. The audience is not that stupid--not even the 5 year olds. Have a little faith in your audience, filmmakers. I give this film 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

 

Movie Review - Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

I'm a huge Genndy Tartakovsky fan. I loved Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Sym Bionic Titan. His television work is as good as it comes. His movie work … not so much.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is a 2018 cgi animated film by Genndy Tartakovsky. It is rated PG and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Premise. This movie did a nice job mixing up the premise by taking the characters from a hotel and putting them in a hotel on the ocean, which was really clever, because it stayed true to the premise while providing something new for the characters to react to.

Closing Credits. The closing credits are traditionally animated in the classic Genndy Tartakovsky style, which was really wonderful to behold. I would love to see a series animated like this (the Disney XD series looks too computerized).

The Bad

Animation. The animation is fine, but really looks like cheap 2-D movement which doesn't translate well. Also the visuals are very plastic looking.

Cleverness. While the premise offers a nice twist to the classic formula, the film never rises to the level of brilliant, just mildly amusing.

Story. The story is nothing new, and it proceeds exactly how you expect it to with all the expected twists and turns and no surprises.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the movie had been more clever.

Overall

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation delivers exactly what the audience is expecting. If you enjoyed the first two and want to see more of the same, you'll be happy. If you were hoping for something different, something new, something more original or clever, you'll be disappointed. The premise of setting the film in a hotel on the ocean allows the movie to stay true to the series while offering something a little different. The movie is entertaining, but, like the first two, doesn't offer anything really special or wonderful. I give this film 3.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

   

Blu-Ray/DVD Review - Cartoon Roots: Halloween Haunts

I am a huge fan of early film and early animation. I love how original and innovative they were. I love how surreal the stories are. Many people look back at Looney Tunes shorts from the 40s and 50s and say how clever and innovative they were, but really they were only copying what had been done for decades before.

Cartoon Roots: Halloween Haunts is a Blu-Ray/DVD anthology of short films from 1907 to 1948. All feature animation, and many feature live action mixed with animation. They are unrated and appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Restoration. Some of these films are 110 years old, so it is really incredible to see them looking this good. Considering the projection technology that existed when these were first created and shown, they may look better than they ever have. I really have to hand it to Tommy Jose Slathés' Cartoons on Film for preserving and presenting these treasures.

Innovation. One of my favorite things about early film is how creative and innovative the early filmmakers were. This was all new with no real precedents, and the animators were a lot of young kids with wild ideas, so they were really free to experiment and fail. I don't think we'll ever see such an era again.

History. Included with this set is a booklet with background information on the shorts that is fascinating and helps put them in perspective.

Three Felix the Cat Cartoons. I love Felix the Cat. His early cartoons are still some of the most original, fun, feisty, and original adventures I've ever seen or read. I think he could be a big hit today if a filmmaker would go back to his roots and make something that daring, bold, and irreverent. And we get THREE cartoons on this set. Granted, one is a mediocre color cartoon that lacked the feistiness of early shorts, but it was still fun.

The Bad

Mundane Selections. Not every film that has ever been made is a classic and deserves to be viewed or preserved. There are a few examples on this set.

No Real Special Features. This definitely targeted to a small and specific audience. While we love these old films and a beautiful presentation of them, we also love the story behind them. It's a shame there weren't more special features beyond a few newspaper clippings on the DVD and a small booklet with a little background information.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

Honestly, this set is everything I could hope for when I first saw it advertised. I've purchased several sets like this in the past and have always been disappointed in them. This one I was truly pleased with. My only minor gripe is a documentary about the films would have been nice. A lot of the work has already been done on the Cartoon Research website.

Overall

Cartoon Roots: Halloween Haunts is a true treat. The short films are beautifully restored. Most feature amazing, innovative techniques and original storytelling. And THREE Felix the Cat cartoons! Does it get better than that? I give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

    

Movie Review: The Book of Life

I'm always up for a good Halloween flick. I think the ghosts and goblins and witches and skeletons are lots of fun. I detest anything mexican, because it always tends to be really boring and the same thing over and over, but The Book of Life was a pleasant surprise.

The Book of Life is a 2014 computer-generated, animated, comedy, romance, family movie based on the Day of the Dead from producer Guillermo del Toro, the director behind Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Pacific Rim. It's appropriate for all ages.

The Good

The Visuals. The Visuals were stunning! From the colors to the scenery to the costumes, everything was a visual feast to behold. The figures were designed to look like hand-carved wooden puppets which fit the culture behind the film.

The Characters. The characters were fun and interesting, especially, Manolo and Joaquín, both suitors for the hand of the beautiful María. Manolo is a musician from a family of bull fighters, and Joaquín is a soldier from a family of fighters. They're a little cliched but still fun enough to be likable. The main supernatural characters, one representing good (La Muerte) and the other evil (Xibalba), were beautifully designed and had enough character to make them interesting.

The Story. The movie begins with a field trip to a museum that is used as a framing sequence for the movie with a set of wooden puppets of the characters as a nod to the style used. The museum tour guide acts as narrator with a few breaks back to the framing sequence for dramatic effect. The pace moves quickly enough that the story never drags but never too quickly to enjoy what's going on or develop the story.

The Action. This movie had of lot of quality action scenes from the multiple bull fighting sequences to the multiple battles with the bandits.

Family. This movie had a strong message for family and families working together but wasn't preachy about it, which you almost never see nowadays. It was a refreshing change.

The Bad

Old Jokes. Most movies in this genre are clever and witty with a lot of original jokes and winks to pop culture. This had none of that. Everything was cliched and recycled from other shows.

María. María is the cliched pretty girl that is strong willed and skilled in fighing. There is nothing new or original about her, and one has to wonder why two cool dudes like Manolo and Joaquín would want her after they get old enough to know better.

Villain's Change of Heart. The main villain has a change of heart at the end (no surprise there), but there seems to be no reason or motivation for it. He just suddenly goes from bad to good because it's convenient for the plot.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I really would have enjoyed original jokes and witty dialogue. This one had funny jokes--20 years ago. I was really surprised that they recycled old jokes that aren't funny anymore and witty twists that have been done enough times to make them not witty anymore. I guess that fits with the whole mexican culture it's based on--nothing new and lots of the same thing over and over.

Overall

Overall I was thoroughly entertained by this movie. It was a visual treat with great characters (for the most part) and a story that was fun to watch. None of the twists or surprises were surprising but they weren't so cliched they were boring either. The message of families helping each other was well portrayed without being preachy and a nice change from other films and shows. I give it a solid 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.