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Aladdin (2019)
A Delicate and Faithful Work
Well, admit it. There are undeniable charms in animations that cannot be matched, compared, or imitated. Disney's remake of its 1992 masterpiece 'Aladdin', however innovative, lively, and visually stunning, proves insipid in the grand shadow of its former original. There is no denying the great effort the film crews dedicated in the making of this 2 hours live-shot feature, in the face of such subtleness and devotion in the aspect of editing, production designing, cinematography, custom designing, and of course, visual effect. Despite a few flaws that might be there in the actors acting and the structure of the story, if one wants to look too critically, the 2019 Aladdin has presented us a whole new world. But in the amazement it has to offer, I still miss the purity of animation, where Genie can do whatever magic tricks that even the best of nowadays CGI technology finds difficult to oblige, where Abu and Iago can do the funniest facial expression with their hand-drawn eyes, where the film set can switch from concreteness to abstraction as will. The same thing occurred to others of Disney's adaptation as well, such as 'Beauty and The Beast'. The limitation of live-action forces the film makers to alter the script to great length, changing 90 minutes into more than 120, while trying every effort to outshine every original detail and element, which the fans would be so agitated to miss. Every song in the 1992 animation was inserted perfectly in place, some slightly recomposed, some adding new lyrics and instruments, rendering brand new musical effects. I am thrilled to see Alan Menken back to the studio once more. After all, edition of the script means the needs of a entire set of scores to be recomposed. Menken even added a new song - as well as a reprise - for Jasmine to sing solo. A very beautiful song as it is, however, it is not hard to see from which the great length Disney would go to voice the now prevalent theme of feminism. This is of no doubt important, but is it worth compromising the layout of the entire art piece? Altering an already well-laid story is risky enough without the burden of conveying public messages. Feminism is a good thing, but why cannot it be inserted flawlessly like that in Frozen and Moana? Overdoing it at the expense of losing grip on the story is, if anything, a dangerous sign.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
It is enjoyable alright, but not enough as a 'Star Wars' episode.
As a new comer in watching 'Star Wars', I have seen all the previous episodes not long before going to the cinema for 'The Last Jedi'. To me, the classic films by George Lucas may lack certain elements to make themselves more decent, but classics they are, due to creativity and good story telling. Making 'Star War' movies nowadays is different, for the audience are becoming more demanding, and scorn to see conventionality.
With Disney stepping into the making of 'Star Wars', more experienced means of story-telling and film-making is expected, for that is usually some strong points of Disney. But eventually, we see little improvements other than those in technical aspects like visual effects and sound processing. Traces of a market chain can be seen everywhere for toys and other movie spin offs. No no no, there's just too much Disney's production characters in it.
During the main part of the movie, the plot is clearly split into three story lines. If truth be told from where I'm standing, the story line concerning Finn and his new partner is completely unnecessary, immature even. It conveys moral values of course, but even that is not illustrated very deeply and is not even close to touching the core of the film's meanings. I also cannot see the point of introducing this new character 'Rose', for the girl really helped little in the expansion of the story. Besides, the actress playing the part seems rich in neither talent nor charm to me. Maybe she will be useful in the sequels yet to come. If so, she was brought forward far too early. As a whole, the whole script does not seem incomplete without this story line. My guesses are the film makers are simply trying to find something for Finn to do. Well, maybe you really should have had him in his sick bed and put more attention to Rey and Luke, whose tale have proved much more important as the story goes and could have been more marvelous if more time and details are given.
Do not wrong me. I am greatly content with the movie's visual effects and designs. The scenes look extremely magnificent, especially under the assistance of IMAX. I enjoyed every bit of them, from the dedicated performance of most actors to John William's music. The latter half of the film where all story lines come together did a good save to the story by restoring its integrity. There are surprising twists in the plot and the ending is arranged decently. Together, these elements make up a pretty good science fiction movie.
Generally, it is a film worth watching and is even more suitable for the teenage group than previous episodes. But as a 'Star Wars', the film is beginning to show signs of a down-the-slope trend for the series. And so, I do not share many viewers optimism on the future of 'Star Wars'. 'Star Wars' is a legend in the history of moving pictures, a memory for many who love it consistently, not a normal profitable piece of tool like some, nor can it be squeezed over and over by casually-made sequels until it's out of value. Let us just hope that 'Star Wars' will be cherished by Lucas Film and The Disney Company and every coming episode will be made count. May the force be with it.
Passengers (2016)
Passengers of Life
Previously, it seems strange to me that a well-made picture like Passengers has an average rating of only 7.0. Later, however, it comes to me that maybe many people who went to the cinema were expecting a marvelous science fiction film but eventually come to find a typical romance instead. In passengers, though high-tech future elements can be seen anywhere, they are mainly used to support the love story the movie wants to convey, not to provoke dramatic intensity and visual effects as normal sci-fi movies do. And so if you are looking for something rather tense and incredible, the film might not satisfy you enough, for the story is told in a slow pace and the highlight around the end is a little roughly-arranged. But on the other hand, Passengers has reached high in telling a romantic story and has also brought out thinking and arguments about humanity and attitudes towards life.
Space movies are sci-fi films set in a particular environment: outer space, which always provides the films with potential advantages. They include: infinity in setting the background's scale, great convenience in testing humanity under extreme circumstances such as facing the unknown, and sometimes, expense saving by hiring only a few actors and actresses. Generally speaking, Passengers has made full use of many of these potentials to make itself worth viewing and thinking. It has had its background set on a lonely spaceship traveling in the void, providing a single concentrated scene, to tell clear and straight a fascinating story about no more than two main characters. Such a genius idea that supports the film has also enabled some thinking on the two characters' different attitudes and decisions towards their fate and destiny.
Apart from a brilliant idea, there are, of course, other contributing factors that has made the movie come to life. Firstly, I must say the acting of Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence is really great. Pratt expressed strongly the character's sense of loneliness at particular scenes, while Lawrence stroke me hard in acting extreme emotions such as hatred, despair and eagerness (I actually recall seeing similar vivid acting in other films with Lawrence playing a role such as The Hunger Games series as well). Besides, the visual effects of the film is beautiful, which has definitely added more flavor to the already beautiful story. The music written for the picture is also worth praising too, although I'm a little surprised it is so great as to get the Oscar nomination.
As mentioned above, Passengers may not have done so well as a science fiction film. But I think it truly has achieved something in telling a love story. We have already seen countless romance films which consists little more than a boy and a girl come to a kiss after a series of things happen. If such plain and simple love stories with few details and never-changing happy endings were once popular, they can hardly surprise us any more nowadays. Because with the development of modern movies, we are asking something more besides two good-looking people come together. We are asking questions like: What happened next? How their individuality affected their relationship? What's their understanding of love?
Good romance films are seeking the answers, and trying to give complete new angles of telling romantic stories. One way of doing so, some find, is to extend the perspective of love from the traditional honeymoon period to the entire life of the ones in love. Passengers, among some others like The Titanic (1997) , Up (2009) and About Time (2013) have looked into this method of story- telling, and many of them reached tremendous effect. They carry the theme that love consists not only a rush, a glance, a touch, a dance. Love is Life. (Please allow me to quote from the song 'City of Stars' without thinking it lower than any others) In Passengers, by illustrating opinions of life from the characters' view, it has shared its unique perspective of love with accuracy.
*** Some friends may consider the lines below spoilers ***
In the end, I would like to add another quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's master piece 'The Little Prince', which I think suits the main idea of the film pretty well:
People on the train are pursuing nothing at all. They are asleep in there, or if they are not asleep they are yawning. Only the children are flattening their noses against the windowpanes.
We are all passengers of life. Besides chasing a destination, there are so many wonders on the way for us to stop by. If the ultimate goal is so far to reach, we can still make a meaningful path by enjoying every bit of the day.
Interstellar (2014)
The love that travels through space and time to those waiting for the break of dawn
Though in deep love with science fiction films, I personally object the abuse of over-drastic ideas, over-dramatic high-tech stuff, and over- unrealistic stories. After watching dozens of unimpressive sci-fi films, my eyes lighted up after finishing Interstellar. The whole idea of Interstellar didn't make me feel weird at all. In fact, the setting of the story is very logical and reasonable. The deep meaning of the film is also unique and has reached a level that other sci-fi films always fail to achieve. To be simple, this is really a touching film and a "scientific" one.
The background of the film is the very end of the human race. With such a setting, the story not only enables us to see the determination of those who dedicated their life into the unknown and those firmly waiting for decades, but also the deep bond between the friends, colleagues and families. We see figures working day and night to rid mankind of extinction, scientists making every mean to find a solution, brave explorers heading to the void for a final destination. Some say only in extreme circumstances can the true color of human be shown. The film didn't put on a story of such a grand scale for nothing. It's using the whole setting to maximize the emotion of the film, and highlight the brightness of human nature. With a sparkling imagination only allowed in sci-fi films, Director Nolan succeeded in combining art and science together flawlessly. This isn't often seen in sci-fi films. But anyhow, only in sci-fi films can it be seen. That's why I think Interstellar is so remarkable.
Time is the biggest villain in the film, according to Director Christopher Nolan. We can see it when the distance between Cooper and Murphy was teared apart, when the last bit of Mann' will was extinguished, when Tom has no choice but to wait for his father's possible return while witnessing the leaving of his grandfather and child...... But while the law of the nature is so cruel, the human did not yield. They used their live action to show the nature that no matter how long or how far, love can cross dimensions and carry to the other side their sincere promise that they will not forget, that they will return. With love we strive to survive. With love we stand the test of time. About that, the film taught us a lively lesson while moving so many people to tears.
Science fiction films can't stop at intimidating people with a magnificent future world or impressing them using merely some awesome laser guns or magical flashing lights. They need to discover deep meanings. As sci-fi films taking a more and more important part of modern filming industry, film crews have to acknowledge that only a film with meaning can last long as the motionless time goes by. With the love and spirit hiding inside, Interstellar deserves to be one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made in history. It keeps stimulating us that even facing the most desperate darkness, never go gentle into that good night.
Da yu hai tang (2016)
A Milestone of Chinese Animation
I have not watched a film made in China for quite a long time even if I am Chinese myself. Our film industry still has a long way to go. However, I am deeply impressed by the creative story and the perfect combination of 2D and 3D animation of DaYuHaiTang, and I personally consider the film as a revolutionary art piece.
Through the story, the film emphasize the relationship of our life and our dreams. It encourages us to stick to what we eager for, to what we believe, even when the environment is against us. In the movie, Kun is the symbol of our dreams. It grows, it flies, and its life is tightly related to the one who raises it. We are born to achieve something, if the goal in our life isn't achieved eventually, our life is meaningless. Be brave and go ahead, that's what the film wants to teach us.
The movie contains many Chinese traditional elements, which has seldom been seen before. I am also glad to see that Chinese animation has finally started to focus on how to move audience emotionally. However, there are many shortcomings as well. The film has a good story, but it failed to tell it well. The plot goes too fast at the beginning, and too slow at the end. Besides, a lot of redundant words can be found during conversations. Maybe the film crew should do something about that in their next movie.
The film did a great job, but it's the audience in the cinema that let me down. I was shocked to see many people laughing mockingly at the characters at some meaningful scenes just because it seems funny to them. Some people are even insulting the film and the characters on the Internet as well. In my opinion, whether a film is good or not, it is an art piece, and it is the result of the film crew's diligence and creativity. We should talk about the strong points and drawbacks of the film objectively, not insulting it without thinking deeply. The poor moral quality of the audience can be seen in those rude remarks. The Chinese animation industry is developing rapidly, it's the audience ability to appreciate films that failed to keep up.
Finding Dory (2016)
Another Pixar film, another lesson.
I was actually a little nervous before entering the cinema, worrying that Pixar might fail to meet my expectation. But the film succeeded in keeping Pixar's long known reputation and gave me another lively lesson with the attracting and touching story. To this, I'm grateful as always.
The film is about Dory looking for her parents this time. She spared great efforts going home despite her problem of short-term memory loss. Through the whole story, we can find that Dory's ability to recall memories is actually linked closely to the other characters around her and their care. For example, when Dory eventually found her parents, she could even tell them her story of helping Marlin find Nemo. On the other hand, when she's alone, Dory forgets everything about herself and others in a couple of minutes. Such a thing occurred when Marlin decided to abandon her in Sydney because he thought Nemo was dead(Finding Nemo 2003). It also occurred when Dory was flushed into the open water with seaweeds where she could do nothing but follow her instinct and swim blindly. That accounts for Dory's friendliness and sadness when others decide to leave her. She needs to be loved. In reality, the willingness to tend others is something that we all need to learn, especially when it comes to the disabled.
There is a sharp contrary in the film about memories. While Dory was trying hard to recall, Hank the octopus would rather forget. That comes down to the question of whether to live in the past tasting every bit of one's experience, trying to find out who you are, or to let go of everything and live on one's own path. To be honest, if you are Dory, would you like to end up living in an aquarium similar to a jail for the rest of your life merely because that's where your parents are? Many films have brought up the question whether one should pay more attention on his/her own path of life or the family, Pixar films included. However, this is such a controversial question that Pixar never answered it straight. In a Pixar film, the conflict between career and family is often neutralized itself at the end of the movie in order not to force the characters to make the difficult choice. Remy's father eventually helped him with the career as a cook, as an example.(Ratatouille 2007) In Finding Dory, the conflict becomes a process. It tells us birds that migrate do leave home to strive for life, but they will finally come back. While her parents are waiting, unchanged. Dory has grown up and become mature. Since the thought of going home sparkled, not only has she been finding her parents,but also she's been Finding Dory, finding who she truly was.
It's fate that Dory as well as Hank and the other fish would be back in the ocean at last. The film tells us that home is not a place to live, a house to stay. It's where our family members are, where we are tied to each other. So no matter how reluctant Hank was, he belonged to the ocean, and that meant he would return to the nature and stay with those who loved him even if they are not related to him. As for Dory, she's home the moment she meet her mom and dad. Instead of the exciting scenes such as an octopus driving a truck, the reunion scenes are the real highlights of every Pixar film and they are emotional enough to make us weep. It was when Boo was home(Monsters,inc. 2001), when Riley was home(Inside Out 2015), when Arlo and Spot were home(The Good Dinosaur 2015)that the real spirit of Pixar was shown.
Same lessons, different ways taught. It can be noticed that a lot of time and conversations are spent to explain the thinking of the movie. Such arrangement might be used to let the majority of the audience understand those deeper meanings, but they surely used up a lot of precious time too. As for myself, I would appreciate it if those conversations and time are saved to make the plot more fluent and the story carry more reflections of the real world. The idea of the film is also conservative, fewer imaginative points are found, and the shadow of Finding Nemo evidently limit the possibility of the film's imaginations. Besides, there are definitely more laughter in the cinema than usual when I was watching. The film is more funny than the previous Pixar films, which I guess was designed to excite more children mainly. I personally consider these subtle changes as a sign that Pixar is trying to change its original ways of telling stories and teaching audience. I can only hope Pixar will find its way.
I watched many films animated by Pixar when I was little, and when I came to the age of 18 half a year ago, I pick those films up again and I found much more meanings in them. Pixar has accompanied my childhood, taught me, and now it has changed my life twice. Pixar films are always suitable for kids and adults alike. The idea of Pixar figuring out a new route somehow frightened me. If Pixar abandons its classical way of filming and eventually switching its attention completely to the new generation, I will be among those who are most unwilling to say goodbye. I wish Pixar can teach the new generation in the same way it taught us, or maybe a real better way.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
Simple story line with deep meanings. A good film does not have to be funny.
From my personal point of view, though the film is not the best one Pixar has produced, it was made with great effort. I've heard the hardship Pixar has overcome making up the plot and creating the delicate scenery. The story is not very complicated, but there are still several touching moments which made us all weep.
The central meaning the film want to convey is as simple as bravery, family and friendship, which is very easy to understand. However, once accompanied by the beautiful environment and the background music, these simple concepts can get into our hearts really deep to let us feel, to identify with. I've heard from other reviews that some parents are not so satisfied to see their children cry while watching. But I don't think we can judge a film's quality simply by asking "Is it amusing?" As the previous Pixar film "Inside Out" pointed out, it's okay to feel sad. While a smile can only last a few seconds, some deep meanings in a film can be tasted over and over. The spirit of The Good Dinosaur does last in our mind.
I'm a student as well as a film lover from China. I love it. My parents love it. My friends at school love it. And we all think there's a lot to learn from every Pixar film including this one.
(Sorry about the grammatical mistakes this preview may contain. I am just an English learner.)