thedriveintheatre

Matthew Bogarts Tumblr: The Brave and the Bold

matthewbogart:

I recently posted a link on Facebook to this petition regarding the redesign of Merida from “Brave” that Disney is reportedly doing to include her in the Disney Princess line and I got this response.

> “I don’t get the hoopla over this. Apart from wearing a different outfit and being…

The following was a response to forum member’s query on why TDIT felt that Madagascar 3 had a weak climax.

“Plus, I thought you liked those movies that you said had weak climaxes, and didn’t the main characters in those sequels almost die?”
First of all, it’s okay not to know how to distinguish between a strong or weak climax. It’s only my opinion, haha. And while I did like those movies, I have to be honest and say that they had some aspects that didn’t go well with me, like their climaxes.

Well, let me think, how would I classify a good climax?

In a nutshell, it would be one that pits the hero against a formidable villain, and emerging a different character afterwards. The villain can be anything from an actual character, to the natural elements, to even an internal struggle. Do note that there are SPOILERS AHEAD (all the following movies have been released on DVD). I’ve bolded the titles ahead of the spoilers, in case anyone doesn’t want to read them.

Finding Nemo, for example, had a fantastic climax, even though there was no “antagonist” per se. This is because Marlin has to face a fear he has, of letting Nemo go (both literally and figuratively). When Nemo had to return alone into the net to save their friend Dory and the tuna, Marlin’s will is put to the test, and this reveals his strength.

Sometimes, it is not the main protagonist who has to face a challenge, but the deuteragonist or even the tritagonist. In Wall-E, the titular robot is already “perfect” in a character-development sense. He is merely the agent of change for every other character, from Eve learning what it means to love another being, to M-O overcoming his neurotism, to Captain McCree experiencing his epiphany that there is a greater world beyond the confines of his vessel.

The villain might be even a concept. In Up, Carl had to learn to move on from his Ellie’s death. This is represented visually by him using the house to fly back and save Kevin and Russell, instead of staying on Paradise Falls. Muntz, who can’t let go of his obsession with capturing Kevin, not only loses the bird, but his life, when he is “taken” by the house that has been holding Carl back from experiencing life. While Muntz is a villain, the real “test” in the movie was Carl letting go of his past and looking forward to the future.

Sometimes, the villain might be a good enough reason alone to say a climax is good, especially if it takes the viewer by surprise. King Candy’s reveal in Wreck-It Ralph is one that comes to mind. Sometimes, it is the climatic action itself, like in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, where Spirit takes a literal leap of faith across a gorge. Or it might be the denouement, like How to Train Your Dragon’s touching post-battle scene where Stoick the Vast grieves over Hiccup’s body.

Madagascar 3 had a lousy climax IMO because there was no real sense of peril for Alex and his gang (for me). DuBois was too easily defeated (although I love the use of Circus Americano as a Chekov’s gun). The Zoosters don’t emerge different characters afterwards - in fact, Vitaly is the one who went through the most change in his quest for redemption.

Cars 2 had an awkward and overlong gag with Lightning chasing Mater and the mistaken interpretation of “bomb”. Again, the baddies were dispatched too easily, and there was never any real doubt that Mater would unmask the true villain Scooby-Doo style.

And Ice Age: Continental Drift had a weak villain with zero motivation to begin with. Why was Captain Gutt so bent on enslaving the Ice Age gang when they had done him no wrong? It only got personal when Manny sunk Gutt’s ship in self-defence, and then it became a simple case of tit-for-tat revenge. The climax was also not really high stakes enough, with Manny comically using his weight (which Gutt has been teasing throughout the entire movie) to defeat the pirate.

“I guess you mean with them being sequels, it’s more likely for the audience to expect the characters to survive, and those original films have more depth considering they are the first ones?”
The fact that they’re sequels has nothing to do with it. :) Some of the best climaxes I’ve seen were in sequels, such as Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Star Trek Into Darkness and Kung Fu Panda 2, off the top of my head. The fact that they’re the latest instalments in the series means there’s even more reason for a character to perish, especially if you haven’t seen any in the series (cos it’s unlikely a sequel would exist if the hero died in the first movie).

Some movies that were mediocre for me had excellent climaxes, like Shrek The Fourth (in which a Chekov’s Gun of Fiona’s rhyme about tying knots is used, and Shrek discovers how much he takes for granted in life) and Toy Story 3 (where the toys faced their mortality and were prepared to die together).

Sorry for the super long ramble, couldn’t resist!

Rio 2 Official International Teaser

The teaser for the upcoming sequel has just premiered, and it’s a delight to hear the theme Real In Rio again! And aren’t Blu and Jewel’s offspring just adorable?

Stick around to see the cockatoo-from-hell Nigel make a dangerous promise. I hope we get some new villains and Nigel takes off the gloves (claw-sized ones, I suppose) this time!

And if you’re up for a true carioca experience, watch the Brazilian Portuguese dub! ;)

Disney recently did a redesign of the Pixar character Merida from Brave, when she officially became a Disney Princess on May 11. The film’s former director, Brenda Chapman, criticised the new look:

“I think it’s atrocious what they have done to Merida. When little girls say they like it because it’s more sparkly, that’s all fine and good but, subconsciously, they are soaking in the sexy ‘come-hither’ look and the skinny aspect of the new version. It’s horrible!”

The following is TDIT’s response to the redesign and Chapman’s comments.

…..

copypasta of my rant from FB, slight sidetrack into My Little Pony territory, but the essence remains the same, we need more diverse female role models:

“Good on brenda! This BS about defining success as one ideal (thin, white, princess, et cetera) has got to stop.

This reminds me of a similar case with MLP: FIM. Lauren Faust, the show creator who also left the studio when her contract expired, wanted the charactera to represent different role models for girls, cos (paraphrasing) not every girl wants to be a princess.

And then the writers thought turning the unicorn Twilight Sparkle into an alicorn princess would be a good idea, presumably to sell more toys for marketing.

Writer Megan Mccarthy even said: “Every little girl wants to be a princess.”

If that is true, it’s a sad homogenised world indeed.”

Talking about ridiculously-skinny and good-looking monarchs, I was watching cartoons this morning before work (cos I have enough of watching pessimistic, sensationalist news at my office already), and this show called Doc McStuffins came on. It’s about a six-year-old African-American girl who dreams of becoming a doctor like her mum. When she puts on her stethoscope, her toys magically come alive (presumably Calvin and Hobbes make-belief style), and she treats their ailments, which range from worn-out parts to split-heart-itis (heartbreak). I think it’s fantastic that this character has a different ambition than being a stereotypical princess.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against royalty, although I know some folks in Oz who despise the Queen (constitutional monarchy and all that jazz). It’s just I’m tired of programmes pandering to a certain gender mindset, that pink has to be a girly colour (boys used to wear pink and girls wear blue in Victorian times, apparently), or that they must play dress-up with toy ponies or fairy-tale castles. Why can’t we make a show about a girl who wants to be an athlete? Or an engineer? Or a scientist?

I’d also like to see Disney have a female protagonist with the possibility of becoming a princess not become one, for once. Mulan is the closest, but she’s not of royalty, so there was never a chance to begin with. Vanellope in Wreck-It Ralph, perhaps?

My homeland, Malaysia, recently had its 13th national election. The ruling party of 56 years won again, but amid accusations of voter intimidation by armed gangs, indelible ink (to mark voters who have voted) which can be washed off, and phantom voters flown in from Bangladesh. If these claims are true (which the Opposition leader, alternative-news media and some of my friends are saying they are), it is truly a day of infamy in my country.

I also regret not taking part in the first election that I’m eligible to vote in. In four years time, I will register and make my voice heard, even if the entire system is allegedly rigged to begin with.

The comfort I will take is that the citizens of Malaysia are now more politically-aware and watchful now. Cronies and lackeys beware, we have our eyes on you.

OH, MAN: Tony Stark not only faces two villains in Iron Man 3, but also post-traumatic stress from the events in The Avengers.

The following is the unedited version of a published review.

DID you know that fortune cookies are not from China?

They are an American invention, according to the Mandarin, billionaire-genius Tony Stark’s latest nemesis.

Much like the pseudo-Asian dessert, subterfuge is the name of the game in Marvel Studios’ follow-up to last year’s crossover spectacular, The Avengers, as it cleverly subverts audience expectations and genre cliches.

For example, the Mandarin (played with mordant glee by Ben Kingsley) doesn’t have a grudge against or a clash of ideals with Stark, aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), unlike most comic-book villains.

The cultural chimera – he is a Middle Eastern with a British accent dressed in Chinese robes – does have a very huge beef with America, though, as he demonstrates by deploying suicide bombers and taunting the country’s people through hijacked television broadcasts.

When one of his attacks inadvertently puts a close friend of Stark in a coma, the brash industrialist throws down the gauntlet on live TV.

The Mandarin responds by permanently “relocating” Stark’s seaside villa to the bottom of the ocean.

Stark, now homeless and suitless, embarks on a quest to find out who his enemy is and how to stop his next nefarious plan.

Meanwhile, Stark’s longtime girlfriend, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), is approached by a man from her past and a woman from her beau’s past.

The former is her previous employer, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), founder of a brain-trust organisation developing a super-strength virus called Extremis.

The latter is Dr Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), a geneticist working for Killian who had a fling with Stark many years ago.

You’d think a love quadrangle would happen. But, in the end, it’s really a love triangle between Stark, his Iron Men and Potts.

See, after the events in The Avengers, Stark is suffering from anxiety attacks. He keeps them at bay by working on his suits (he’s at No. 42 now) at the expense of his relationship with his sweetheart.

Those betting that Paltrow’s character will play the damsel in distress again, like in the preceeding films, will be surprised by her action-heroine turn in this outing. She saves Stark’s butt at one point and, by the end of the movie, kicks enough of others’ to live up to her (spicy) name.

Don Cheadle, who plays Stark’s best friend, Colonel James Rhodes, also gets in on the action as the newly-minted Iron Patriot.
Director Shane Black, who worked on Lethal Weapon and with Downey Jr in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, puts his buddy-cop-flick experience to good use in several scenes where Rhodes and Stark team up to fight the baddies.

There are many gags and set pieces that took me by surprise, from a running joke involving Stark’s prehensile suit to an exhilarating mid-air rescue inspired by a children’s game.

But the biggest twist comes two-thirds way through the film. I have a feeling it will divide many fans, but all I can say is I found it unexpectedly hilarious.

While Downey Jr’s fourth cinematic adventure as the titular superhero doesn’t match the breezy heights of the first movie, it’s funnier and more unpredictable than the morose second instalment. Plus, Stark gets to throw more one-liners this time round.

To paraphrase a famous Tom Hanks’ character, Iron Man 3 is like a fortune cookie. You’ll never know what you’re going to get.
Or, as the Mandarin promises, you won’t see him (and the film’s many jaw droppers) coming.

P.S. A note to Pixar fans: One of the villains reminded me of Syndrome from The Incredibles. Without giving too much away, this character shares much of his development and motivation with Jason Lee’s cape-wearing baddie.

P.P.S. Yes, there is a post-credits scene, so stick around or you’ll miss out on a laugh or two.

Que saudade

Saudade (Brazilian Portuguese: [sawˈdadi]; plural saudades) is a Portuguese word that has no direct translation in English. It describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing will never return.
- Bell A.F. (1912) In Portugal

I needed an excuse to pick up drawing again, and what better one than to make a (one-week belated) birthday gift for a friend? I’ve always been drawing humorous (or at least, I’d like to think so) crossover pieces, and while this is in the same vein, I wanted to add some pathos to it too.

Or as Walt Disney once said: “For every laugh, there should be a tear.”

Oh man, I feel so awful doing this to Blu, haha. Happy 21st, Kenzie/ellie-jessie-eve!

DeviantART link

Comments and Critiques welcome!

An article about villas with infinity pools in today’s edition of my paper. I subbed the article but the deputy editor wrote the headline. Could she be a Pixar fan? :P

The following was posted in response to criticisms over Pixar’s newly-announced sequel, Finding Dory:

So I herd you guys don’t liek a sequel to Finding Nemo? :3

Personally I don’t mind a sequel, seeing the first is one of my favourite Pixar films of all-time. It’s also the one that started changing my perception of the studio - I hated it before Cars, cos’ I thought it was killing traditionally-animated films with CGI.

I also hated Cars 2 before its release (I ranted about how the trailer stole the theme from Vantage Point, how Pixar was going down the drain with sequels, et cetera). But it ended up being my favourite Pixar sequel of all-time. Well, I guess Toy Story 2 and 3 are the only other ones that have been released.

To all those who are hatin’ on it, I say give it a chance. Yes, we all want the Incredibles 2, but it seems the Brain Trust thinks otherwise. If they have a really good script for an Incredibles sequel, I’m sure they would make it. They probably haven’t thought of one yet (or are waiting to see how many fanfics we can churn out before they give in). I’d rather they don’t make a sequel to The Incredibles than they rush out to force themselves to think of one and it turns out lousy. Just think of Shrek The Third, for example, oh the horror!

Right now, they seem to think that Finding Nemo has more stories that deserve to be told. Besides, there are other original properties that are coming out like The Good Dinosaur and the Day Of The Dead untitled film (which I can’t wait to see, I wrote a post about how Pixar really needs to branch out and get more stamps on its “passport”).

To all those who are lovin’ it, remember that Pixar was once hailed for being original and Dreamworks was lampooned for being money-grubbing. Now the tables have been turned, and Dreamworks is the one creating original films (Turbo) or adaptations (The Croods, Rise Of The Guardians). And then you’ve got other studios like Blue Sky (Epic, another original property after a littany of Ice Age instalments) and Disney (Frozen).

It seems that Pixar is not immune to market forces, and must depend on sequels to keep it going. This seems to be a trend in the movie industry nowadays, as sequels rely on established characters and existing film assets, which save production costs and attract audiences familiar with the first movie.

Pixar is no longer the best film or even animation studio in the world. Not in my books. But is that a bad thing? Well, no. If anything, it’s humbling. It shows that Pixar is not infallible, that it relies on merch (Cars and Toy Story) and sequels for cash flow, and produces less-than-perfect flicks (Cars 2, with Pixar’s first Rotten RT rating and Brave, a film I highly anticipated but fell short with its conflicting messages and tepid storyline).

This announcement has pleased me in many ways because it shows that people no longer worship at the altar of Pixar. That a new Pixar film has, for once, created controversy and divided opinions during its announcement.

Personally, I’m comfortable with sitting on the fence. In fact, my wish to Pixar is the same as Anton Ego’s from Ratatouille: “Surprise me!”

And believe me, Pixar always surprises me, for better or for worse.

An etch-out of Dory. She appears in today’s edition of my paper!