adventure | Fifth about The Seventh

Rise of the Guardians

March 28, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Rise of the Guardians: while it’s not a new idea to create an “out of context” group of superheroes (Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen came to mind, even thought it’s certainly not the first implementation of such idea either), it is a good one. Execution is strong, as usual, with character design (as well as their ancillary effects) generally (but not universally) interesting. Camera work (so to say) is very dynamic, consistent with the genre. But, most importantly, […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, animation, fantasy

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The Croods

March 25, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

The Croods: colorful, good-looking animated film (nowadays it seems to be harder to make a bad-looking animation than a good-looking one), that, however, fails where they usually do: in telling a story with heart. The main issue is how heavy-handed the story gets; and while the name of the film suggest it, the brand of humour is not crude (nor, as DWA films usually have it, so heavily dependent on pop-culture references). It’s a fun ride, but for the most part […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, animation

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Hatari!

March 3, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Hatari!: pleasurable and entertaining, as one would expect out of Howard Hawks. The two distinct halves mingle well, and they are both very successful on their own. The action scenes, if one can get past animal rights activism (which incidentally I did), are exciting, well shot and edited. But, as is usually the case, it’s when the film pauses to let the characters breathe, that it all comes alive and makes us truly care for the group of characters and […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, drama, romance

ParaNorman

February 21, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

ParaNorman: while it gains points for the use of stop-motion animation, this film is not visually distinctive enough at this day and age. While the story is fun, it’s also somewhat vapid; character’s motivations are murky and the message, unfocused. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a little fun movie, but without much meat in its bones.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, animation

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The Pirates! Band of Misfits

February 15, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

The Pirates! Band of Misfits: there is a certain allure to the brand of animation done by Aardman; it goes beyond the flawless technique (lovely stop-motion) or the very recognizable character design they employ. It is (this is one key I’ll ever insist on playing) the story, always displaying a naïve, timeless sense of humor. (It sounds simple, but there aren’t many animation studios that understand that.) In this case, a fun adventure, with all the expected absurd touches and […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, animation, comedy

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The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare – Full Short

February 9, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

The Longest Daycare: While I’m not generally a big fan of The Simpsons, this short, also nominated for the Best Animated Short, is clever and funny. Follow this link and enjoy The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare! (This link becomes unavailable every once in a while, so if you have a hard time getting to this short, post a comment and let me know.)

Categories: Non-Reviews • Tags: adventure, animation, awards 2012, comedy, short

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

January 16, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: as a fan of the source material, the ponderous pace and the somewhat vacuous story is not really a problem, given how rich the characterizations are. The visual and tonal consistency with the original trilogy is both good and bad (since the tone of the original source differs). “Riddles in the Dark” is a wonderful piece, showcasing how great a character Sméagol is.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, fantasy

Wreck-It Ralph

January 16, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Wreck-It Ralph: more earnest, and better for it, than the average animated film nowadays. It fails, however, to show a rich world, choosing instead for loud visuals, sound and voice acting (with the exception of John C. Reilly, who knows better). The excesses are even more evident because of the lovely, whimsical short that preceded it, Paperman, quiet and precise visually and aurally. Watch it here.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, animation, fantasy

Brave

January 13, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Brave: nice little story, with a meaningful theme. Visually, it’s a beauty to behold, both in character design and in world design. If there is a weakness in the storytelling, it’s in the humorous moments; not because they are bad, but because they don’t fit the whole as well.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, animation, pixar