"Shrek Forever After" Review

Title: Shrek Forever After

Original Release Date: May 21, 2010

Rating: PG

Dreamworks Animation have never been known for their consistency. For every amazing film they produce, they make another outright terrible one. For every Kung Fu Panda, there is a Shark Tale. For every How to Train Your Dragon, there is a Bee Movie. No where is this more true than with their most well-known franchise, Shrek. The first film was critically acclaimed for its memorable characters, state-of-the-art animation, and clever writing. The second film was not quite as well-received, but is still considered one of the studio's better films (Personally, I prefer it to the first... but that's neither here nor there.) The third film on the other hand was almost universally panned, with many fearing that the series had succumbed to the dreaded "sequelitis" that ruined so many great franchises before it. When Dreamworks announced that they were making a fourth film, well... you can imagine how many moviegoers felt.

As the trailers started rolling in, and bits of the story were revealed, my expectations plummeted even further. They're using the It's a Wonderful Life shtick? Come on. That plot's been used to death twenty times over. I was sure it was going to suck. I was almost positive it was going to be awful. I mean, a sequel is one thing. A three-quel is another. But can you honestly say you've ever seen a halfway-decent four-quel?

Well then you've yet to see Shrek Forever After. I'm serious, I'm just as surprised as you are. I don't know how the heck Dreamworks did it, but they've managed to breath life into this seemingly dead franchise. Shrek Forever After, while not quite as sharp as the first two films, managed to outdo the third on almost every level; and for that it must be commended.

Shrek Forever After begins with, predictably, Shrek. The ever merchandise-able ogre has become fed up with his humdrum celebrity lifestyle, and has finally reached his breaking point. Yearning for the life he once led, when he struck fear in the hearts of all who approached him, Shrek makes the acquaintance of Rumpelstiltskin, a once-powerful trickster now reduced to digging through garbage. Stlitskin manages to connive Shrek into signing a contract that, while giving Shrek one day to live like a "real ogre," also gives Stiltskin a day out of Shrek's life. What day does he take away, you may ask? Why, the day of his birth. Tossed into a world in which he never existed, Shrek finds that a great deal has changed. Fiona doesn't love him, Donkey doesn't remember him, and Rumpelstiltskin rules over the kingdom.

The animation is great, as you would expect from a Dreamworks film. Everything is lively and detailed, and the 3D effects are quite nice. The returning characters are as endearing as ever, and some of the newcomers are just as memorable (Rumpelstiltskin in particular makes for a great villain.) The writing team has managed to recapture some of what made the first two films so great, with some truly funny moments laced throughout the film.

While I whole-heartedly recommend seeing Shrek Forever After, keep in mind that it doesn't really try anything new. It's following in the footsteps of the films that preceded it, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's safe to say that if you enjoyed the previous Shrek movies, you'll probably like this one. If anything, it's a good way to end the series. Certainly a more fitting end than the abysmal third film.

Cartoons You Should Be Watching: Adventure Time

Modern cartoons get a really bad rep. Not just post-90’s cartoons either; any era of animation is subject to this. People tend to hold a subjective fondness towards the era they grew up in; if you were a kid in the 80’s, you probably hate 90’s cartoons. If you were a kid in the 90’s, you probably hate 2000’s cartoons. And chances are, the kids who are growing up now will learn to hate 2010’s cartoons. Now, these assumptions are not completely invalid. Televised animation hasn’t been in its most pristine state over the past decade or so, with “hit” shows being fewer and farther in between. Despite this, there are diamonds to be found.

And so, to prove that the last decade hasn’t been completely void of animated creativity, I am starting up this new section that I have dubbed “Cartoons You Should Be Watching.” In this section, I will list… well, cartoons you should be watching. I will explain the premises of the various series and try to give the hardened cartoon cynics a reason to be optimistic.

To kick off this feature, I will be going over one of my personal favorite cartoons on TV today. It's a series that I, and many others, waited years upon years to finally get a glimpse of. And believe me, it was worth the wait. I am, of course, speaking of Pendleton Ward’s Adventure Time.

This show is living, breathing proof that Cartoon Network is still worth watching. This makes up for years of terrible cartoons, awful creative decisions, and, I shudder to say, reality shows. Adventure Time is fun, unpredictable, and as it says on the label, adventurous.

The series takes place on a post-apocalyptic world populated by mutants, talking candies, and a slew of other miscellaneous whatsits. Despite this... rather grim backdrop, the series manages to be consistently upbeat and optimistic, with only occasional hints that the bright and cheery land of Ooo wasn’t always so bright and cheery.

The main protagonist of the show is a twelve-year-old human boy named Finn. Finn loves nothing more than adventuring about; recovering magic artifacts, saving princesses, all the usual heroic stuff. Accompanying him is Jake, the magic shapeshifting dog. Jake can stretch and enlarge any part of his body, and plays a mean viola. The two chums regularly have to deal with the many villains and sort-of-villains of Ooo, such as the lonely, princess-obsessed Ice King, and the house-stealing vampire queen, Marceline.

The show prides itself in its zany, sometimes surreal atmosphere. It toys with the viewer’s expectations, employing non-sequiturs and plot twists that would seem more at home on a Williams Street series. You’d think this would be a detracting factor, but it manages to work in the show’s favor. There’s something appealing about such a bizarre, unpredictable world. It’s unconventional, it often doesn’t make sense, but it’s just so much fun to watch.

The art direction of the series is excellent; the backgrounds are vibrant and detailed, the denizens of Ooo are lively and expressive, and the animation is crisp and smooth. I’d go so far as to say it’s the best-looking show on television right now.

Adventure Time is reason enough to have faith in modern animation. It shows that the creative well hasn’t quite run dry yet, and that some networks are still willing to give creators the freedom to do... well, whatever the heck they want. Just give it a watch. I dare you not to smile.

Animation Interview

"9" Review

Title: 9

Original Release Date: September 9, 2009

Rating: PG-13

CG Animated films have been given a reputation of sorts. They tend to be, more often than not, “kiddy” films with high-budget animation and a stockpile of pop culture references that no one will get twenty years from now. Some companies like Pixar break away from this norm, but their films are still often defined as being “for kids.” Very rarely are CG films made with anyone but younger audiences in mind, likely because the animated medium as a whole is unfortunately perceived as being “kiddy.”

“9” is one of the exceptions to this rule. It’s a dark, gritty CG film with some pretty morbid overtones. To the film’s credit, it doesn’t follow the traditional precedent set by “mature” films. There’s no swearing, no suggestive themes, and no gore. Rather, the film boasts impressive action scenes and a detailed post-apocalyptic atmosphere, giving it its status as a more “mature” film.

The film takes place on Earth after the human race has been wiped out by an army of robots. The only living things left on the planet are a group of sentient dolls stitched together by a kindly scientist. The movie stars the youngest of these dolls, named “9.” He takes refuge with the rest of the dolls, who live in hiding from the robots. This is around where the movie begins.
The movie is based on a short film that only lasted around ten minutes. This new take on the film stretches it out to over an hour, and adds several new characters. While the short film only focused on two of the dolls, the movie fully fleshes out all nine of them, giving them distinct personalities and appearances.

The film’s animation is top-notch; perhaps not at Pixar levels, but impressive all the same. The main cast is full of life, and the backgrounds look appropriately gloomy. The robots are especially well-done, with each and every cog and wire full of detail. The film’s visuals are one of its biggest drawing factors.
Of course, a movie cannot live on pretty animation alone; it’s the writing that holds it together. Thankfully, the writing in “9” is of pretty good quality. The original short film managed to tell its story through movements, with no dialogue to speak of. This new film gives the whole cast voices, and while the actors were undeniably very professional, I couldn’t help but feel that the film may have been better if the characters had remained silent. One of the most intriguing scenes in the film is at the very beginning, when 9 first wakes up, and is without a voice. The lack of dialogue gives you a chance to take in the brutal post-apocalyptic surroundings, and really adds to the creepy decrepit atmosphere. However, as soon as he finds a voice box, the movie becomes completely dialogue-based.

One of the only real complaints I have of the film is its length. The movie was only 79 minutes long, and I felt that it could have been made just a bit lengthier. While the movie’s build-up took its sweet time, its ending was somewhat abrupt. By the time the movie ended, I found myself thinking, “Wait, it’s over already?” I couldn’t help but feel that the movie’s climax could have been stretched out just a bit longer, at least bringing the film to the 90-minute mark.

Despite my complaints about dialogue and length, “9” really was an enjoyable film; just don’t see it expecting it to be a two-hour epic. I give “9” an 8 out of 10.

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