Fish and Cherries Productions

The Boxtrolls is a movie that I’m not quite sure what all to think about, though it leaves a very memorable impression. The characters aren’t the most three-dimensional, but they’re all unique and distinctive. The plot has a very basic good versus evil thing about it, but the plot elements are executed with a lot of subtlety in the dialogue and actions. The social satire can be a bit odd, what with the upper class being obsessed with cheese rather than fixing the problems of their city, but it’s still easy to identify with. But don’t think that I’m bashing this movie, because I’m not. It’s a visual wonder, to be sure, but unlike The Book of Life, which was very grand and colorful, this film has a lot of quirks and nuances in the writing and animation that make it unique. I also have to hand it to that voice acting, because there were a number of famous people in the cast and I honestly couldn’t tell you it was them by listening. This was brought to us by Laika, the studio that gave us Coraline (which, as I said in my pre-website days, kicked ASS), and their ingenuity is felt here as well. I give this my recommendation and invite you to tune in within the next seven days when I take a gander at the final piece of the Laika trilogy that’s eluded me… ParaNorman.

Maleficent is not nearly as subversive as it thinks it is, but that does not make it a bad movie. A friend described it as feeling like a pro-Maleficent fan fiction where all of the other characters are made to look horrible and I can see where he is coming from. The three faeries are borderline useless and the people in the human kingdom are dark and evil with zero shades of gray or redeeming features. The only good one are Aurora and Prince Philip, but the latter is so bland and uninteresting that he was almost a non-presence (though his counterpart from the original Sleeping Beauty was probably the least interesting Disney Prince, so at least they’re consistent). There were other problems too, like the fact that certain relationship progressions progressions were relegated to rushed montages, there is a very unnecessary narrator that is really hard to put up with, and a few serious scenes are nearly ruined by some unintentionally hilarious moments in them. But there are some superb moments as well. The characters of Maleficent, Diaval, and Aurora are wonderfully written and lend themselves to some brilliant and funny moments. On top of that, the visuals of the film are drop dead gorgeous and may be some of the most beautiful you see in a while. On top of that, the second half of the movie is really engaging and the twist on the end, while already done in a much better Disney movie, is still refreshing to see, as is the part where the Prince says that he wouldn’t feel right kissing an unconscious girl. Those who are sick of the Disney tropes will not have a good time, but there are still quite a few gems in here to prevent it from being a bad movie. Just don’t go in expecting Wicked.