June 2009 Archives

By Clarence Yu IT was a cool Saturday evening as people of all ages and all walks of life wand ered together, almost telepathically, to see Pixar Studios' latest offering, Up . What is so great about this movie that drew a full crowd--something I haven't seen in quite a while? For one, the film is a Pixar movie, which is always an event in itself. Pixar h as always been known to create high quality animated pictures, from Toy Story t o their most recent entry WALL-E, which was released last year. Up is the tenth full-length film from the studio since--a run that began with Toy Story in 199 5--and all the films in between have been critical and commercial successes. Up doesn't feature any robots or talking cars, no Buzz Lightyear or a rat who w ants to be a cook, but it does have a grumpy old man who has just lost his wife and an over-eager young Asian-American wilderness explorer. That brings us to the movie's main strengths: the simple yet resounding plot that connects emotio nally with adults and the great animation work to which children can easily res pond. Up tells the tale of aging Carl Fredericksen (voiced by Ed Asner, known for his role in the '70s TV sitcom, Mary Tyler Moore), a widower who is relegated to l iving out his years in his simple home. Times are changing around him, but his memories are firmly fixed on the life he led with his beloved wife Ellie, and t heir one unfulfilled dream:to travel to Paradise Falls in South America. His self-imposed hibernation is disturbed in the form of young Russell (voiced by newcomer Jordan Nagai), a "wilderness explorer" (think Boy Scout) who needs a badge for "assisting the elderly" to complete his training. Carl and Russell then embark on the adventure of their lives--for Carl, to fulfill his promise t o his beloved, and for Russell, to fulfill his training. Carl is the father tha t Russell rarely sees, while Russell is the son that Carl never had. Without giving away too many plot details, the movie sends out a basic message: it's never too late to follow your dreams. While this may seem corny, Pixar's animation is so evocative that it is able to deliver this timeless message with out live action. One of the great moments in the movie is a silent montage that tells the love story of Carl and Ellie, which will bring tears to your eyes. In these complicated times filled with complicated films, Up is a straightforwa rd, uncomplicated, and heartfelt movie that will refresh and uplift, as evidenc ed by the ovation it received from the audience I watched it with as the credit s rolled. See this with the love of your life, your family, or even by yourself .

By Clarence Yu BEN Stiller returns with the usual suspects in this enjoyable second installmen t of the Night at the Museum series. The film's basic strength is its appeal to both adults and children and the ensemble cast of terrific character actors. The plot is quite simple--the museum characters face extinction, and Stiller's mission is to save them. Stiller's strength has always been to play the regular guy caught up in an irregular situation, and he demonstrates this again in the movie. The film's main surprise is Amy Adams, who plays Amelia Earhart. She lights up the screen with a confidence evocative of the "can do" woman, and plays the mai n foil to Stiller's everyday man. However, this film just does not stand up as well as the first one. While the f irst had a more balanced blend of appeal to both children and adults and had mo re time for character development, Battle of the Smithsonian seems to focus more on toilet comedy and quick laughs. It also suffers from trying to squeeze in the talents of Robin Williams, Hank A zaria, Owen Wilson, and Christopher Guest, among others, in less than two hours . Focusing on one specific character is quite hard to do without diluting the o thers, and this happens when most of the attention is focused on the talented A zaria. Also, much missed are the talents of Carla Gugino, whose character disappears w ithout any notice. Sorely underused are the funny Ricky Gervais and the always dependable Owen Wilson. One thing can be said about the Night at the Museum series thus far: While it m ay be a poor attempt to educate viewers about history, it can serve as a good s tarting point for kids to arouse their interest in it. History buffs and purists may disagree, but in this day and age of Nintendo and Playstation holding the attention of children of all ages the world over, this movie is a boon. Hopefully, the kids who watch this film will get interested in, say, the real Amelia Earhart, by the great on-screen portrayal of Amy Adams , or try to find out more about the real Napoleon Bonaparte or what Ivan the Te rrible really did. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian stands up better compar ed to the overly pretentious "re-boots" currently in release. Kids of all ages will still get laughs and kicks out of this one. Take your family with you whe n you can.