Retro Review: Pixar’s Cars

It has been a long time since Pixar began its quest to revolutionize the animation industry. It started over 10 years ago with the animated classic Toy Story in 1995 and what a ride it has been.

Now there seems to be some fear that Pixar will lose its crown with the release of their latest project “Cars”. So is the film any good? Or is Pixar just riding on exhaust fumes?

The story of their latest project finds a spoiled brat racecar named Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) who believes that he can win every race by himself and seems to be on the verge of becoming immortal on the racetrack. His arrogance gets him in trouble and he almost blows his chances.

Lightning’s whole world comes crashing down around his ankles when he is accidentally lost in the desert and ends up in a small town called Radiator Springs. There he meets Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), Doc (Paul Newman), Sally (Bonnie Hunt), Luigi (Tony Shalhoub) and a whole crop of interesting characters. What life lesson will Lightning learn while stuck in the desert? What is Doc’s secret?

“Cars” begins rather slowly and for the first 30 minutes I almost forgot that I was watching a Pixar movie. Then it happened. A beautiful musical montage that finally meant something and revealed exactly what Pixar was trying to say with a film full of talking cars. That made me smile.

Owen Wilson voices Lightning McQueen.

You see, for me it was hard watching a film about talking cars. I have no problems with talking animals and insects but I kind of get lost when it comes to cars and trucks. Go figure.

Is it strange that Thomas the Tank Engine creeps me out? Well imagine Thomas on steroids and you kind of have my reaction to Cars.

As is with all Pixar films, the animation and scope of the film is amazing. The landscapes and scenery bleed off the screen with raw energy. As I got comfortable I began to see the cars and trucks as characters and how unique Pixar had made their world. I think that really didn’t sink in until I saw the “flies” buzzing around.

Luigi voiced by Tony Shalhoub

My favorite character in the film is the tire salesman Luigi and his helper. I loved that little character and all his hopes and dreams. The character that stole the show was Mater the Tow-Truck who made the whole movie more enjoyable with every simple word he uttered.

I have to say that “Cars” isn’t as strong of a film then say “Finding Nemo” or “The Incredibles” but it definitely ranks above Pixar’s weakest film, “A Bug’s Life”. On the upside, Pixar is still king of animation because any Pixar film is better than 90% of what the other guys make.

You know all my life there are three things I just don’t understand:

1. NASCAR or professional wrestling fans
2. RV owners
3. Movies or TV shows about talking automobiles

Now thanks to Pixar, I at least understand one of these things.

3.5 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: Cast Away

This could be one of the most anticipated films of 2000. The re-teaming of Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis should equal magic or does it?

Tom Hanks stars as a Fed-Ex executive who is trying to complete one last trans-pacific errand before Christmas. Leaving his fiancé (Helen Hunt), Hanks decides he can finish that one last journey before the holidays begin. While the plane is on the way back and Hanks is dreaming of “sugar plums and old St. Nick” a shocker occurs. The plane dive-bombs into the Pacific.

Hanks awakens on a beach where he is surrounded by Fed-Ex packages and doesn’t really know where he is. He decides he can survive until help arrives. How will he do that? How long will it take? And exactly how can one man overcome these tremendous odds and get back to the people that love him?

I loved the airplane crash in this film. It was quite gripping and shocking. It had a presence like the airplane crash in the film “Alive”. I liked how the crash brought out the survival instinct deep inside the Hanks character. The film then moves on to Hanks’ slowly going out of his mind on the island which is a real treat to watch. Hanks is still amazing.

I have made fire!

The structure of the film interrupts Hanks’ brilliant performance and for me ruined the last half. Castaway tries way to hard to live up to the majestic tone of the trailers and the reputation of its cast and crew. Eventually falling apart as it wears out its welcome.

What’s strange about this whole structural flaw is there is the exact moment when you know that the film is boring and toying with you. It all occurs with the dreaded “….years later…” text that flashes across the film. I mean the film before that text seems like a completely different film then the one after. The film doesn’t explode right at that moment. I mean it’s ok until Hanks gets back to the mainland and when he arrives it’s like the film has an identity crisis.

I mean there are at least 4-5 separate endings to this film and with this we have a film that drags on and on. I mean 3-4 of those endings belonged on the DVD not in multiplexes.

What is really the killer about all these endings is that the “theatrical” trailer tells you the whole movie so none of them is really shocking just trying.

When I finished seeing this film I was told that the film’s primary focus was about a Fed-Ex package and its journey not that of Hanks. Am I the only one who thinks that’s stupid? I guess you can debate, who’s the castaway the package or the man. Ugh!

3.5 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

Fall TV: Pilot Review: Caprica

In 1978, we saw a sort of Star Wars clone explode across the airwaves as we learned the human race had a lost colony in deep space.  That colony was trying to make its way back to Earth and escape some relentless android/alien attackers, Cylons, who were bent on wiping out the human race for good.

In the original Battlestar Galactica series, there were alot of plot holes, extremely goofy dialogue, silly robotic pets and zombie like baddies. What the show did have was a killer production design, great effects, two dynamic leads (Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict) for the girls and well the eye candy for the boys in a young Jane Seymour, Laurette Spang and Anne Lockhart. And for respectibility former Big Valley star Lorne Greene was their adopted father and leader, Col. Adama.

The show was huge in its day but because the show cost so much the studio had to pull the plug but it lived on in infamy among fanboys. (like me!)

This brings us up to the 2004 reboot, which saw the series core elements adopted and set to a darker more dramatic scenario as the human race is tested at every turn by their relentless enemy. Also added were their attackers, Cylons, were actually built by humans. The series also included the fact that the Cylons had evolved from their “tin can” selves to “skin jobs” or almost human beings. Think Blade Runner replicants but take it one step further and more cranky. Also to add more tensionto the mix,  they made one of the series two main male leads, female.

The sequel series exploded and was heralded as the greatest series ever on television. It lasted four seasons and a mini-series. It was a long drawn out war.

Graystone's first Cylon

The idea of Caprica was to go back to before the Cylons attacked and focus on the generation before the crew of the Battlestar Galactica. It is a prequel. You have Col. Adama’s father, Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) and the creator of the Cylons, Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) , whose fates are intertwined when both their daughters are killed when a terrorist blows up a commuter train.

Heartbroken, Graystone develops a program that allows for a virtual avatar to be constructed of his daughter. From that avatar he wants to build her a body so he can be with his daughter again. He lures Joseph Adama into the fold with the promise “don’t you want to be with your daughter again?” Graystone needs Adama’s shady connections to help build his daughter’s robot body.

It is such a deep and moving pilot as  it plays with all our psyches in one way or another. The idea that a tragedy like this can lead to man’s destruction is incredible and well thought provoking. I also loved how the series continues to play with our ideas of what makes a human being, well, human.

(left to right) Esai Morales, Paula Malcomson, Eric Stoltz

Eric Stoltz is solid as the dynamic, yet crushed “Doctor Frankenstein” of the show. You feel every bit of anguish he endures. I also like how Stoltz builds his anguish and desperation. The man has such a cozy life and it is interesting watching his life literally explode before him.

Esai Morales is equally compelling yet from a different angle. He is suave, sophisticated well haunted much like Graystone. I haven’t seen Esai in such a high profile role in sometime. He kind of reminds me of a Latin George Clooney. 

The last time I saw him was a recurring role on Jericho but the first time I really took notice of him was in 1995′s Mi Familia with low and behold Edward James Olmos (who starred as Col Adama in the Battlestar remake). What is funny about that whole situation is that in Mi Familia Edward played Esai’s father. Esai is such an underrated actor and it nice to see him get this really meaty role.

If the Caprica pilot is any sign of where the series is headed then I am sold hook-line-and-sinker. This looks to be quite an interesting series if they can keep up the drama and intrigue. I just hope it evolves past Caprica city and we get to see other planets and different members of the 13 tribes. This show could be like no other sci-fi show before it if they let it evolve.

The series debuts in January 2010. The pilot is now on DVD.

But as TV pilots go I give it 4.5 out of 5.

So Says the Soothsayer