Friday, June 3, 2016

Hercules (1997) - 8 stars out of 10

Hercules (1997) - 8 stars out of 10

“Hercules” has the catchy music, epic story, and flawless animation that we have come to expect from the Disney Renaissance.  While all of these attributes are similar to the other Renaissance films, “Hercules” remains unique with its gospel music style and sinister-yet-comical villain.  You wouldn't think that Greek mythology and southern gospel music would be a good match, but it is the perfect medium for the narration of this film.  The animation of the Muses as artwork on Greek vases and statues that come to life allows them to interact with the actions onscreen while remaining unseen by the characters.  The music isn't as memorable as "The Lion King" but it has a few great songs that are underrated in the scheme of Disney songs (particularly "Go the Distance" and the double time in "Zero to Hero").  My favorite song is “(I Won’t Say) I’m In Love” with its 1960's female doowop style and excellent interpretation by Susan Egan.  It is a stylistic departure from the gospel pieces but it works because of the similar female harmonies.  The film has the great balance of storytelling and comedy that we expect from the Disney Renaissance.  It is full of great ancient puns ("Somebody call IX-I-I!") and the symbolic use of color for visual storytelling.  It is easy to see the contrast between characters as well as the transformation of Hercules through the glow of the gods, average color of the mortals, and the faded color of the dead.  One of the most impressive visual aspects of the film is the Hydra sequence.  It is a revolutionary example of early CGI, requiring 13 animators to work for nearly a year-and-a-half to create this vivid 4-minute battle.  I still remember the surprise and fear that I felt as a preteen when I first saw the boundary-pushing graphic content of Hercules repeatedly chopping off the Hydra heads.  The film goes to a very dark place with this story of betrayal and death; still, James Woods’ lighthearted portrayal of Hades helps the film to avoid the depressing tone of “Hunchback.”  Hades is a great comedic villain, complete with one-liners and sarcastic glances at the camera.  The animation of this character perfectly matches James Woods' quirky interpretation.  You would expect the star of the film to be the titular Hercules but I find him to be rather unmemorable in comparison with the spotlight-stealing Hades.  Woods creates a Jekyl and Hyde effect that makes us want to be his friend until he suddenly becomes scary.  Even then, he is the comic relief instead of the serious and scary (and seriously scary) villains of “Sleeping Beauty” and “Hunchback.”  Other memorable performances include Danny DeVito as Phil, Rip Torn as Zeus, and Jim Cummins in a brief cameo as Nessus.  I kind of wanted him to reappear later in the story, but the cameo-like nature of his scene makes it a great Disney Easter Egg.  While “Hercules” is often forgotten in the conversation about films like “Aladdin” and “The Lion King,” it is worth revisiting as long as you don’t mind a very loose interpretation of Greek mythology, 

[Pictured: The Hydra sequence is one of the best battle sequences in any Disney movie]

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Steamboat Willie (1928) - 8 stars out of 10

Steamboat Willie (1928) - 8 stars out of 10

“I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.”  These humble words from Walt Disney have grown into an anthem for anybody who is trying to turn their dream into a reality.  Disney's quote continues to resonate today because he risked everything on the early cartoons that helped to form the vision for his entertainment empire.  "Steamboat Willie" is an incredible achievement for its time.  It was the first successful fully synchronized sound cartoon and, while it is tough to grasp the quality of older cartoons when you look at modern animation, this seemingly simplistic cartoon was revolutionary.  Walt provided all of the voices for the characters and worked through a process of trial and error to properly sync the sound.  Most people believe this to be the first film to feature Mickey Mouse, though that distinction actually belongs to “Plane Crazy” which was created a year earlier.  When this silent film failed to impress test audiences, Walt decided to complete “Steamboat Willie” (which used synchronized sound) and release it first to make Mickey into a star.  All of this happened after Charles Mintz took the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.  The cartoon is a series of simple situations and musical moments that occur as Mickey sails down a river.  The story is punctuated by clever sightgags like using a guitar-eating goat as a phonograph and Pete spitting chewing tobacco to ring a bell.  In addition to being Mickey’s debut, this film was also the first appearance of Minnie Mouse and is a great example of animation by Disney legend Ub Iwerks.  In the grand scheme of things, we would all be more entertained by modern Mickey cartoons; however, "Steamboat Willie" is an important chapter in the story of Disney animation and something that should always be treasured by fans of Disney's feature-length animated output.

Steamboat Willie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgghnQF6E4

[Pictured: Minnie Mouse decides to use a goat as a phonograph after he eats her guitar and she sees music notes falling out of his mouth.  How can Mickey help but smile along?  These are the moments that make us love Walt Disney's films.]