Tag: Pixar

Hoppers

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Nineteen year old Mabel (Piper Curda) is an animal lover who will do anything she can to save the glade that meant so much to her late grandmother (Karen Huie). When she discovers that her professor Dr. Sam (Kathy Nijmay) has created technology that allows humans to place their consciousness into robotic animals, Mabel decides to use it to become a beaver. As Mabel meets various species, she uncovers more about the animal world that she ever thought possible.

Disney and Pixar’s latest offering is an original story that boasts a unique spin. I honestly wasn’t sure what to think of it from the trailer aside from the fact that the animals looked cute. I ended up getting a lot more than I bargained for and thought that it was well executed.

As usual, the world building and animation design were incredible. It was the perfect combination of high level detail needed to depict the many locations while also experimenting with some more cartoonish character features. The glades, pond and forest area seemed so realistic in their illustrations while the animals themselves stood out for their quirkiness.

The voice cast were brilliantly chosen. Curda brought real emotion and charm to Mabel. We’ve all felt alone and like we don’t really belong anywhere at least once in our life and I feel like she encapsulated that so well. Bobby Moynihan who portrayed King George, another beaver who lead the mammals, was hilarious. The friendship that formed between him and Mabel was so lovely. Other notable names such as Meryl Streep, Ego Nwodim and Sam Richardson played the Insect Queen, Fish Queen and Conner, one of Dr. Sam’s associates, respectively while Dave Franco seemed to be having a blast as the Insect King. Each delivered in bringing their characters to life.

I liked the film because it was different. The placing of human consciousness into a robotic human was slightly Avatar-esque, but it actually made me care. I cared about these characters and the world they were living in. Learning how important animal habitats are was also interesting and I loved seeing how they all worked together while adapting the pond rules. This film made me think of what we are going through today and how different things may be if we could all come together while also shedding light on environmental conservatism.

Overall, Hoppers seems to be a return to form for Pixar. It’s last few ventures fell a bit flat, but this time around I could sense that good old, familiar magic. The film was inventive, very funny and deeply touching. It really is one of those films that every member of the family can enjoy.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Elio

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Pixar’s latest offering follows Elio (Yonas Kibreab), a space fanatic whose life has been upended after the death of his parents. He moves in with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), but the two don’t exactly see eye to eye. Elio can’t help but feel like he doesn’t belong and when he’s beamed up to a planet in the sky he’s hopeful that he’s finally found his place.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t overly excited for this film. Maybe that’s because there was little to no marketing for it. This was a pity because it had a lot of things going for it. It may not be one of the best Pixar films ever, but it was still solid.

Let’s start with the voice talents. While I was unfamiliar with Kibreab before, I felt like he perfectly encapsulated the titular character. Elio is someone you want to root for. He feels misunderstood and like he hasn’t found his purpose which is just so relatable. Saldana is similarly just as relatable as aunt Olga; nothing could have prepared her to look after her brother’s son and the fact that she gives up her dreams of becoming an astronaut to do so shows that she cares. In the Communiverse we meet an array of unique characters voiced by the likes of Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, Matthias Schweighöfer and Shirley Henderson, all of who gave their best to the performances.

The film is filled with some beautiful animation. It’s bursting with rich colors and zany designs. From there it almost seemed like an entirely different story which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if anything it helped set aside the difference from Earth.

Perfectly blending humor, emotion and action, Elio was an enjoyable enough film for the whole family. Dealing with themes of loss, grief and the desire to belong, it’s unfortunate that not a lot of people seem to know about it. I’m sure the delayed release didn’t do the film any favors and I definitely think it’s still worth checking out.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Inside Out 2

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Ten years after its first instalment, Inside Out is back and so are its beloved emotions. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Disgust (Liza Lapira), Fear (Tony Hale) and Anger (Lewis Black) have perfectly curated Riley (Kensington Tillman) to be the best person she can be. None of them expected what was going to come next: puberty. And with this new chapter in Riley’s life comes some new emotions: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).

While I thoroughly enjoyed the original story, it was never up there with the greats. I still couldn’t help but wonder how Pixar would top it, considering it is a movie that so many people hold dear. I actually think I loved this one even more because I was able to relate to it on a whole different level.

As usual, Pixar knocks it out of the park with the animation. Whether it is the different areas of Riley’s mind like the stream of consciousness, the pits of sarcasm or the back where bad memories are banished to, or in the real world where we see Riley at hockey camp, there is a blend of vibrant colors and out of the box ideas that completely sucked me into the story.

The cast is once again a stand out here with some returning favorites and other newcomers. Taking on the roles of Disgust and Fear respectively are Lapira and Hale who do a fine job; it is like they had been there since the beginning. I’ve always had a soft spot for Sadness and was overjoyed to see her back – when she bursts into tears and face plants in the ground I feel that! But I also have to give major props to the new emotions who each brought something to the table. Ennui was much funnier than I expected, but it was Anxiety who impacted me more than anyone else. The way in which Hawke portrayed this character was so on point it was scary at times.

It wouldn’t be a Pixar film if it didn’t make me cry. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it, but I have anxiety and depression, so seeing these depicted on screen really hit me hard. With Anxiety getting more out of control and Joy’s line about struggling to find joy when you become an adult was like a punch to the gut.

I am so glad that movies like Inside Out exist. They teach children the truths about growing up and how important it is to stay true to yourself in such a smart way. Though our theatre was packed with people young and old, I do think it was the adults who took more away from it. I am sure that when the youngsters grow to understand the subject matter a bit more, Pixar will have done its job and that is something they should be proud of.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5

Elemental

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Welcome to Element City where Earth, Wind, Water and Fire live together in harmony. Well, not really Fire who were always feared by everyone else. That doesn’t bother Ember (Leah Lewis) though. Her whole life has been planned out for her – take over her family’s shop The Fireplace. But everything changes when she meets Wade (Mamoudou Athie). Suddenly her perfect path may not be so perfect anymore.

Let’s start with the outstanding visuals. The different element characters are created in such a unique way. I love the little details, like how Ember’s flames would be constantly moving and how Wade’s body was constantly ebbing and flowing. I wish we’d had more time with Earth and Wind because it would have been cool to see their characteristics too. Similarly the location itself was stunning and so incredibly different than anything I have seen before. It made me want to pack up my bags and go live there too.

The voice cast were good enough boasting big name talents such as Catherine O’Hara as Wade’s mom Brook and Wendi McLendon-Covey as big boss in charge Gale. Joined by Lewis and Athie as our two leads, I wasn’t aware of them previously but thought that they fit in well.

I understand why the turn out for Elemental hasn’t been as great as some other projects in the past. Since the pandemic, Disney and Pixar started putting their films directly on streaming, a move that made these titles more accessible to families. Now that these films are trying to make a comeback on the big screen, I can imagine that people aren’t exactly ready to change what they’ve gotten used to.

As for the subject matter itself, while there may have been some overlapping themes that we have seen before, it was done in a fresh, new way that kept it interesting. The love story was adorable and I really enjoyed the importance of family. There were so many scenes that hit me right in the feels, I had to stop myself from bursting into tears.

Overall, Elemental may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I truly think it’s one of the better films that Pixar has done in awhile. I only wish more people would go out and see for themselves the beauty of this story.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Turning Red

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Turning Red follows the story of Mei (Rosalie Chiang), who is torn between being her mother’s dutiful daughter and all the chaos that adolescence brings. When the women of the Lee family turn thirteen years old, an ‘inconvenience’ falls on them. Now, if Mei gets too excited, she turns into a big red panda.

The fact that this movie took place in Toronto was a huge plus for me. It was fun spotting all the the Easter eggs. Thank you Disney for putting Canada on the map! The casting choices came hand in hand with the location. With the voice talents of Sandra Oh and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the Asian Canadian representation was perfect.

Mei has to be one of the most relatable cartoon characters ever. Her obsession with boy bands and boys in general was something I could appreciate. I also loved the depiction of her relationship with her mother Ming. At the forefront of the film, it ticked all the right boxes for me. Mei wanting to embrace who she is and Ming afraid of letting her daughter grow up was so on point.

Yet another Pixar hit, Turning Red is an uplifting film about growing up and being true to yourself. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it. There truly is something in it for everyone.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Luca

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In a quaint seaside town on the Italian Riviera, a sea monster named Luca (Jacob Tremblay) is about to have the summer of his life. When he meets Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), a human boy, he is suddenly immersed into a world above the surface. Gelato, pasta and dreams of owning their own vespa, Luca and Alberto team up with local girl Giulia (Emma Berman) to compete in the annual race, but they must be careful not to spill their secret along the way.

Pixar’s latest film Luca is a lot more modest and gentle than some of its predecessors. They usually go above and beyond to up the anti every time, so having a simple story about friendship was different and refreshing to see. Luca and Alberto’s relationship quickly comes at the forefront of the movie and it is touching to watch it blossom. That is something that Pixar always manages to do. They really tug on your heartstrings and this was no exception.

With Jacob Tremblay as Luca and Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto, the two did a wonderful job as the leads. They really managed to bring to life the friendship between both boys and I have to say that I could watch their interactions for ages and not get bored. Emma Berman is a great addition as Giulia. Maya Rudolph as Luca’s mom Daniela and Jim Gaffigan as Luca’s dad Lorenzo definitely added some humor as well. There was even a cameo from Sacha Baron Cohen!

Unfortunately there were some parts of the film that I did not enjoy. The ‘villain’ of the story, Ercole Visconti played by Saverio Raimondo was quite annoying. I also wasn’t really sure what purpose he served and couldn’t decide if he added anything to the plot. I also have to mention the fact that the overall storyline was not exactly original. I got serious Little Mermaid vibes the whole way through and wanted to break out singing Part Of Your World.

At the end of the day, Luca is one of the summer’s not to be missed films. It is still very enjoyable and great escapism, but it doesn’t stand out from the crowd either.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5