Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

WITH PIXAR AND DREAMWORKS BOTH RELEASING animated films this summer, it’s impossible not to compare them.

I’ve already expressed my disgust and disappointment with Pixar’s Cars 2. But will DreamWorks’ 2011 summer sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2, fare any better?

Plot:
As the legendary Dragon Warrior, kung fu master Po (Jack Black) guards the Valley of Peace alongside his allies, the Furious Five. When a frightful new enemy emerges, Po and company embark on a perilous journey to save China and the art of kung fu.

Critique:

Like most “part two” sequels, everything in Kung Fu Panda 2 is on a bigger scale than the original, and director Jennifer Yuh Nelson keeps everything epic without being excessive. The gorgeously drawn landscapes offer the ideal backdrop for the many action sequences involving Po and the Furious Five versus the vengeful peacock Shen (Gary Oldman) and his army of wolves. (Po’s master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is relegated to a bit part, showing up mostly at the beginning and end.)

The fight sequences, while sometimes too fast for their own good, are still amazing to watch. Other action scenes are just as entertaining, including a hysterical rickshaw chase between Po and one of Shen’s henchmen.

A reigned-in yet still-funny Jack Black returns as Po, who, in addition to being tasked with defeating Shen, yearns to find inner peace – which is played out in a touching storyline as Po learns of his adoption and the truth behind his real parents. As Po’s nemesis, Gary Oldman is perfectly cast as the voice of Shen, a completely different (yet just as formidable) adversary compared to the original film’s baddie, Tai Lung.

Kung Fu Panda 2 has great storytelling, exciting action, endearing characters, and even a surprise ending. It’s infinitely more clever, engaging, and emotionally involving than Pixar’s Cars 2. And it marks the first time I’m saying this about the latest DreamWorks film I saw, rather than the latest Pixar film: I immediately wanted to see it again.

Rating:

What did Dash and Jack-Jack think?

They were highly entertained by Kung Fu Panda 2. Dash and I laughed at a lot of the same jokes and gags, and we all got caught up in the action as it intensified in the third act (FilmMother included).

Is it suitable for your kids?

Kung Fu Panda 2 is rated PG for “scenes of martial arts action and mild violence.” There are several mentions of killing and a few implied deaths; a character is killed off-screen by Shen’s cannon; Shen’s army of wolves can be menacing at times; and a major character is killed by a falling boat mast.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

With its great combination of humor, emotion, and action, I think she’ll really enjoy Kung Fu Panda 2. (Oh, and the bunnies. Can’t forget the bunnies.)

Yes, this is Po as a baby. You may commence "awww"-ing.

Kung Fu Panda 2
* Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
* Screenwriters: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
* Stars: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, David Cross, Lucy Liu, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong
* MPAA Rating: PG


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Son of Godzilla (1967)

TO MY DELIGHT, Dash showed an interest in Godzilla last year when he discovered the Saturday morning animated series from the late ‘70s, which was a childhood favorite of mine during its brief run.

But for Dash and Jack-Jack’s first exposure to the classic Godzilla movies, I needed something just as age-appropriate. That may sound silly, since the Godzilla flicks are essentially men fighting in rubber suits as they demolish models of Japanese cities and villages. But in many of these films, the humans are more violent than the monsters. (In Destroy All Monsters, people are shot in the head and throw themselves off cliffs.)

So after checking the “parents guide” pages of many of the Godzilla flicks at the IMDb, I landed on Son of Godzilla.

Plot:
Scientists experimenting with changes in weather on a tropical island get more than they bargained for when Godzilla shows up to battle humongous insects and protect his newborn child, Minilla.

Critique:

Purists of the Godzilla franchise largely disown Son of Godzilla, calling it pandering and childish compared to other entries in the series. But that’s exactly why it felt like a good place to start with my 8- and 5-year old boys.

It’s easy to see why more fervent fans of the Godzilla series find Son of Godzilla a bit corny. A couple of examples:

• The opening situations involving the scientists on the island, and the musical score that accompanies them, are very lighthearted and reminiscent of the tone of live-action Disney films of the same era.
• Goofy music plays whenever Minilla is fumbling about, and at one point the filmmakers even have Minilla throw a kicking, screaming temper tantrum on his back.

The film spends too much time trying to give substance to the scientists’ efforts to control the weather, and there’s a budding romance between investigative reporter Goro (Akira Kubo) and native island girl Riko (Bibari Maeda) that’s harmless enough.

But the human storylines aren’t why we watch these films. We want to see giant rubber monsters throw down, which is what makes the classic Godzilla films exciting, cheesy fun (here, Godzilla and Minilla battle giant praying mantises and a monstrous, web-slinging spider). Unfortunately, the battles in Son of Godzilla are infrequent, and the best clash (where Godzilla takes on the praying mantises) is early in the film and too brief to be satisfying.

While Son of Godzilla is by no means a classic (though the ending is oddly touching), it was a good first choice for introducing Dash and Jack-Jack to the Godzilla film series. Now the question is: Which one do we see next? Suggestions are welcome in the comments below.

Tidbits:
* A year after Son of Godzilla, Kubo also starred in the aforementioned Destroy All Monsters.
* Director Jun Fukuda directed several other films in the Godzilla series, including Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.

Rating:

What did Dash and Jack-Jack think?

After only one brief appearance by Godzilla in the first 25 minutes, Jack-Jack’s patience was tested, while surprisingly Dash was interested in the dubbed dialogue of the Japanese cast. To their credit, they both stuck with it to the end, even when there were long stretches of action-less dialogue (a pitfall of many of the Godzilla films).
Dash (on the praying mantis): “It’s not really scary.”
Jack-Jack: “I think I like the girl the most. I think the girl knows everything.”

Is it suitable for your kids?

Son of Godzilla is rated PG for “sci-fi monster violence.” Godzilla bodyslams and breathes fire on several of the giant mantises, as well as the giant spider. In a couple of other scenes, Minilla is in peril as the monsters pursue him. Also, a man is attacked by one of the giant spider’s claws, but escapes unharmed.
From the humans, there are separate mentions of a concentration camp and having a cold beer, men shoot their rifles at a giant praying mantis, a man gets grazed in the arm by a bullet, and there is a brief scene of smoking.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

I haven’t met any serious female Godzilla fans in my lifetime, though I’m sure they’re out there. I’m guessing this would be more of a you-and-the-boy(s) situation if you decide to check it out.

And he was stompin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,

He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad / You know I'm gonna be like you."

Son of Godzilla
* Director: Jun Fukuda
* Screenwriters: Shinichi Sekizawa, Kazue Shiba
* Stars: Tadao Takashima, Akira Kubo, Bibari Maeda
* MPAA Rating: PG


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Murder, Take One (2005)

THINK ABOUT IT: With the glut of crime dramas, true crime exposés, and reality shows filling our TV lineup, is it really just a matter of time before these three genres procreate and deliver a show featuring all of their elements?

Such is the idea behind Murder, Take One.

Plot:
After a woman is murdered at a hotel, the obvious suspect is caught and interrogated – which is broadcast live on a reality show that’s produced, in the host’s words, “to prevent felonies and engender a secure environment.” But of course, all the pieces to the murder – the suspect, the evidence, the crime – may not be as clear-cut as they seem…

Critique:

Despite the implications of its title, the showbiz angle of Murder, Take One is secondary to the actual murder investigation and its process.

Taking place over a two-day span, the film blurs the line between crime drama and true crime. At times, it feels like Law & Order: Korea, right down to its ensemble cast and screen titles telling us the stage of the investigation (and how much time has elapsed).

Much like its American TV crime drama counterparts, Murder, Take One is very methodical in its execution. It unfurls like a typical police procedural, but sadly it doesn’t rise above that formula. By the third act, Murder veers off the procedural path to involve an exorcism (done largely for the reality show’s ratings), followed by a finale that – while offering a neat twist – closes the film with an otherworldly experience that goes against all the grounded logic that came before it.

And neither that final twist, nor the handful that come before it, are enough to sustain Murder’s 115-minute running time – which ultimately reduces the film’s level of impact from “gripping” to more like “compelling.”

Tidbit: As the lead prosecutor, actor Seung-won Cha is no stranger to playing characters pursuing justice; he played an investigator trying to stop a serial killer in 2006’s Blood Rain.

Korean, with subtitles.

Rating:

Will your kids want to watch it?

I can’t imagine the appeal Murder, Take One would have for children, be they kids or tweens. If you decide to watch the film with children in the house, the only objectionable content might be a brief shot of a nude female body as an autopsy begins, and adult language (as subtitles).

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

If she’s not a fan of subtitles or police procedurals, then no.

You guys question him…I’m off to get my jacket Bedazzled.

Murder, Take One
• Director: Jang Jin
• Screenwriter: Jang Jin
• Stars: Seung-won Cha, Yeong-Nam Jang, Dong-hwan Jeong, Gyu-su Jeong
• MPAA Rating: N/A


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The Curse of February 29th (2006)

BY NOW, you would think horror filmmakers would have covered every holiday or calendar event. (See lists of them here and here.) I mean, short of Boxing Day and the Vernal Equinox, most of them have been done.

Ah, but what about Leap Day?

I know, I should be reviewing The Curse of February 29th on said day. But since the last Leap Day was 20 months ago – and it’ll be more than two years till the next one – I’m reviewing Curse in the next logical place: the Halloween season.

Plot:

In flashback, we learn from institutionalized former toll booth worker Jieyon (Eun-jin Baek) that for several nights in a row in late February four years ago, she experienced the same routine: a power blackout, followed by a woman driving up and handing her a bloody ticket. And each night, there was a report of a murder at a different tollbooth that leads to Jieyon’s.

Jieyon fears, however outrageously, that the woman is a serial killer who supposedly died in a prison bus explosion at her toll booth on February 29th twelve years ago – though her body was never found. Every Leap Day since then, someone has been killed at a local tool booth. And with another February 29th approaching, Jiyeon fears she may be the next victim…

Critique:

The first half of The Curse of February 29th is more creepy than scary, and the film as a whole should be filed under “thriller” rather than “horror.” But no matter how you classify it, Curse is a flawed film. It provides an interesting premise, but at its core, it’s as formulaic as many of its holiday-based horror counterparts in the US:

• Mental hospital angle? Check.
• Killings based on a creepy legend? Check.
• The killer in the legend died, but the body was never found? Check.
• Creepy girl killer, with face obscured by long hair? Check.
• Nobody believes the girl in peril? Check.

It also suffers from a plodding pace; even with a tight 90-minute running time, I was checking the clock all through the finale – which concludes with a rush-to-explain, convoluted ending.

If you’re looking for good Asian horror, there are many better choices than The Curse of February 29th (might I recommend Infection). And if you’re looking for holiday-themed horror, keep your fingers crossed for Eli Roth’s full-length feature based on his Grindhouse spoof trailer Thanksgiving.

(Much like Blood Rain, The Curse of February 29th opened in its native Korea in 2006, but Pathfinder Pictures just released it in the US on DVD in this past August.)

Korean, with subtitles.

Rating:

Will your kids want to watch it?

Unless your kids follow Asian horror, it’s highly unlikely they’ve even heard of The Curse of February 29th. Just as well, because tweens and younger shouldn’t watch it due to multiple bloody stabbings and disturbing nightmare sequences.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

Even if she has an interest in horror or Asian cinema, I’d suggest looking for better films than Curse.

Um, excuse me, bloody knife? You’re in my shot.

The Curse of February 29th
• Director: Jong-hun Jung
• Screenwriter: Il-han Yoo
• Stars: Eun-jin Baek, Yoon-jeong Choi, Ho Im
• MPAA Rating: N/A (bloody violence, distrurbing imagery)


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Blood Rain (2006)

HERE’S A FILM with an interesting blend: a Korean period piece with a serial killer on the loose.

Plot:
In 1808, at a paper mill on the remote island of Dong-hwa, a mysterious fire destroys a docked cargo ship. A team of investigators led by Lee Won-Kyu (Seung-won Cha) arrives to solve the case. The next day, a mill worker is found brutally slain – escalating Lee’s investigation from arson to murder. But the gruesome killings don’t stop there…

Critique:
• Director Dae-seung Kim delivers Blood Rain with all the scope of a big-budget epic and the effectiveness of a modern-day Hollywood crime thriller.
• Seung-won Cha is powerful as Kyu, the methodical, emotionless investigator. Much like a modern-day movie cop, he does his job by the book – but when pushed to his limits, he’s not above beating information out of a suspect.
• The sweeping score by Yeong-wook Jo and Ji-soo Lee is worthy of any major epic the Western world has produced.
• A couple nits: The last act takes a bit longer than expected, and flashbacks are woven too seamlessly into the present storyline, making it disjarring at times. Also, the ending loses points for throwing a supernatural element into what had been a story largely grounded in reality.

Blood Rain opened in its native Korea in 2006, but Pathfinder Pictures just released it on DVD in the US last month. If you enjoy crime thrillers and can tolerate a large dose of bloodletting, it’s worth seeking out. (View the trailer here.)

Korean, with subtitles.

Rating:

Will your children want to watch it?

The fact that Blood Rain is a period piece, in a foreign language, with subtitles, should be enough to lose your kids’ interest – which is fine, because its graphic violence should not be viewed by children. People are impaled, boiled alive, suffocated, have their heads crushed, and are dismembered. Oh, and a few chickens have their heads cut off (ba-GOK!).

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

The violence may be off-putting to her, and if she’s not a fan of subtitles, there’s two strikes right there. I’m feeling this is one to watch on your own.

Worst. Bachelor. Party. Ever.

Blood Rain
• Director: Dae-seung Kim
• Screenwriters: Seong-jae Kim, Won-jae Lee
• Stars: Cha Seung-won, Park Yong-woo, Ji Seong, Choi Ji-na, Oh Hyeon-kyeong
• MPAA Rating: N/A (graphic violence, gore)


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My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

ON A CERTAIN LEVEL, I feel ashamed that as a film lover and part-time critic, I’m not more familiar with the work of Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki.

I know that animation buffs love his work, and Disney/Pixar chief creative officer John Lassetter idolizes him (Disney is the US distributor for Miyazaki’s films, including the recent Ponyo). However, the one Miyazaki film I did see, Spirited Away, left me underwhelmed and confused.

So I convinced Dash we should watch what’s considered to be one of Miyazaki’s best films, My Neighbor Totoro.

Plot:
Sisters Satsuki (Dakota Fanning) and Mei (Elle Fanning) move into a new home in the countryside with their father (Tim Daly), while their mother (Alexandra Kenworthy) recovers from an illness at a nearby hospital. The sisters soon find they have a magical new neighbor, Totoro – a forest spirit whose creatures can only be seen by the children.

Critique:

• The first and most pronounced aspect of My Neighbor Totoro is the rich, amazing scenery: green forests, wide landscapes, and sprawling fields – each looking as if they were taken from a painting.

• With sisters Satsuki and Mei, Miyazaki totally nails the older/younger sibling relationship as the girls alternately play and bicker while discovering their new home and debating what to do about the Totoro.

• The titular Totoro have limited screen time – maybe only a third of the film’s 86 minutes. However, in a way it makes their appearances that much more special, especially when the Totoro and the girls take a ride in the magical cat bus.

• The large Totoro creature is voiced by animation legend Frank Welker (Scooby-Doo) – though since his work consists of nothing but growls and roars, you wouldn’t know it’s him (similar to his work in The Legend of Sasquatch).

• My Neighbor Totoro is a fun adventure – a nice detour from a lot of today’s frenetic animated features. Check it out if you’re given the chance.

Rating:

What did Dash think?

I was worried Dash may not give My Neighbor Totoro a chance, for several reasons:
• He’s not used to the Japanese style of animation (the less-than-fluid style where it seems like they skipped every other frame)
• The movie’s not jam-packed with action
• He was put off by a couple of scary shots early in the film (a dark, foreboding staircase, cracks in walls)
However, he stayed with the movie intently. He laughed at the antics in the opening credits, listened to the sisters’ dialogue, and cracked up several times when the Totoro made their appearances (especially at the way the smaller ones scurried about).

Will your kids like it?

My Neighbor Totoro is an enjoyable film for all ages. Even what may seem like questionable content (a couple of scary scenes, a sick mother, a girl goes missing) shouldn’t be too much for younger kids to handle.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

My Neighbor Totoro is a cute, original story that emphasizes the importance of family and believing in your children. I think she would find it a fun flick to watch with the kids.

Bus stop, wet day / She's there, I say / Please share my umbrella…

My Neighbor Totoro
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki
• Stars: Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Tim Daly, Alexandra Kenworthy, Frank Welker
• MPAA Rating: G


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