LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers (2010)

WATCHING A MOVIE with your kids that’s a toy or product tie-in can be a risky gamble. Not only could your kids end up asking for the toys that “star” in the movie, but the movie itself could be just a 90-minute toy commercial with no substance or, even worse, unwatchable (though we did have moderate success with Rescue Heroes: The Movie).

So when Netflix recommended LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers, I was hesitant to act. But since LEGO has been a memorable part of childhood for generations (mine and my boys’ included), sentimentality overtook me and we checked it out.

Plot:
The snap-build world of LEGO comes to life in this full-length adventure, featuring master builder and adventurer Clutch Powers and his band of plastic friends as they fight to save the universe across time and space. From Space Police prison to the medieval castles of Ashlar, Clutch and his pals put their skills to work to fend off an evil wizard and his dreaded skeleton army.

Critique:

From its thrilling opening sequence (borrowing from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Aliens) to its over-the-top climax, LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers delivers pure fun and entertainment. It’s amazingly well done, and not just for a direct-to-video movie about a toy line; it easily could have been a theatrical hit.

Clutch Powers features top-shelf production values, inspired and impressive set pieces, ambitious storytelling, a grandiose soundtrack worthy of a major motion picture, and a third act so compelling I caught myself getting sucked into it as much as my boys did.

In addition, director Howard E. Baker and screenwriter Tom Rogers know how to give a few nods to the grown-ups watching, with smart references to Indiana Jones, Aliens, Jason and the Argonauts, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and the Jedi mind trick.

The LEGO logo placement is a bit blatant at times (as if we don’t know what we’re watching), but never mind. LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers is a highly entertaining cross-section of action, sci-fi, and medieval epic, with some positive messages woven in about loyalty and teamwork. I can’t recommend it enough as the next film you should check out for a family movie night.

Rating:

What did Dash (and Jack-Jack) think?

They had a great time watching LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers – laughing at the jokes, soaking in the action, and staying glued to the screen for the big finale. A testament to their love of it: After we watched it Friday night, they woke up the next morning before FilmMother and me, asking by our bedside, “Can we watch the LEGO movie again?”

Will your kids like it?

Absolutely. It’s a smart, fun-filled, thrill-ride of a movie.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

Even if she doesn’t think she wants to, convince her to watch it with the family. It’s a great movie experience for you all to enjoy together.

Uh-oh. We’re gonna need some bigger blocks.

LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers
* Director: Howard E. Baker
* Screenwriter: Tom Rogers
* Stars: Ryan McPartlin, Yvonne Strahovski, Paul Michael Glaser, Roger Rose, Jeff Bennett, Stephan Cox, Alex Désert, Chris Hardwick, Christopher Emerson, Richard Doyle
* MPAA Rating: N/A (basically G)


Buy LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers from Half.com >>
Rent LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers from Netflix >>

Toy Story 3 (2010)

BECAUSE OF THE BUILT-IN AUDIENCE, the pedigree of Pixar, the near-universal agreement of critics, and its recent multi-record-breaking weekend at the box office, it really doesn’t matter what I say about Toy Story 3.

However, since I was fortunate enough to see it on opening weekend as part of my family’s Father’s Day celebration, I feel compelled to provide a timely review…

Plot:
11 years have passed since Toy Story 2 (how is that possible?), and little Andy is now heading off to college, leaving his toys – led by Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) – worried about what will happen to them. Fearing they’ll be thrown out as trash, they get themselves donated to a local daycare center, whose toys are presided over by the avuncular Lotso-Huggin’ Bear (Ned Beatty). But Woody, Buzz, and the gang soon realize the daycare center is more of a prison than a playplace – and the only way they can escape is through a daring, dangerous breakout.

Critique:

Because of the iconic status of Buzz and Woody, and how often the first two Toy Story sequels have been played in my home, it felt almost surreal to see Andy’s toys in the new environments of this third installment. I actually felt a bit emotionally detached from the action for the first half of the film, as the toys discover their new home at the ironically named Sunnyside day care center.

That’s not to say the first half of Toy Story 3 isn’t enjoyable; the new toys that Buzz and Woody’s gang meet at Sunnyside are a fun mix of new and familiar, including breakout character Ken (Michael Keaton). And the attention to detail that director Lee Unkrich and the Pixar animators bring to scenes, such as Lotso giving Andy’s toys a tour of Sunnyside, are beyond belief.

Midway through Toy Story 3 is where things kick into high gear. Realizing that a carefully plotted escape is the only way out, Andy’s toys embark on an elaborate breakout a la The Great Escape that must have taken the Pixar team months to storyboard.

But it’s the film’s third act where Unkrich and screenwriter Michael Arndt save the heavy emotional stuff that comes from knowing these characters for the past 15 years. The final scenes involving Andy and his mom, as well as Andy and his toys, are bittersweet but realistic…a testament to the powerful impact of this animated feature.

It’s almost getting tedious to say it with each new release, but with Toy Story 3, Pixar has indeed done it again.

Tidbits:

• While we saw the 3D version of Toy Story 3 (it’s all Dash would talk about when mentioning TS3 over the last six months), it adds very little except to the price of your tickets – and Jack-Jack, our 4-year-old, refused to wear the 3D glasses after 20 minutes. So unless your kids are clamoring for the 3D experience, stick with the 2D version.
• In the bedroom toys of Sunnyside preschooler Bonnie (Emily Hahn), watch for a cameo by the titular character of Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro. Disney/Pixar chief creative officer John Lassetter (who directed Toy Story and Toy Story 2) idolizes Miyazaki, and Disney is the US distributor of Miyazaki’s films.
• Actor John Morris has been the voice of Andy for all three Toy Story films.

Rating:

What did Dash think?

Dash wasn’t disappointed after building up his excitement for Toy Story 3 over the last few months. He was completely engaged in the film, laughing often and loving it all – without the need for a single bathroom break.

Will your kids like it?

* Something tells me your kids will love, not like, Toy Story 3. The film is full of action, colorful characters (in both personalities and hues), and humor for all ages.
* There are a couple of spots where the film gets dark in tone, particularly a perilous scene near the end involving Andy’s toys. And while my family found the cymbal-clanging monkey who guards Sunnyside at night to be hilarious, the close-ups of him shrieking and wailing had a couple of little kids crying in our theater.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

I hope she would, and I hope she will.

Am I living in a box? / Am I living in a cardboard box?

Toy Story 3
* Director: Lee Unkrich
* Screenwriter: Michael Arndt
* Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, Blake Clark
* MPAA Rating: G



Rent Toy Story 3 from Netflix >>

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000)

I think you know my thoughts on Disney’s line of direct-to-DVD films. But once my 5-year-old saw the preview for Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins on our rented copy of Toy Story 2, I knew I’d be watching it sooner than later.

But guess what? It wasn’t awful.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command follows Buzz (Tim Allen) as he tries to stop Emperor Zurg (Wayne Knight) from stealing the Unimind. I know, isn’t that just pure evil?

Oh, what’s the Unimind? It’s this large, Saturn-looking brain thing that the Little Green Men use to think as one (remember how they thought and acted in the first two Toy Story movies?).

After the supposed death of his partner Warp (Diedrich Bader) at the hands of Zurg, Buzz swears off partners until he’s forced to team up with a new rookie, Mira Nova (Nicole Sullivan). From there, we follow Buzz and his ragtag bunch of do-gooders as they attempt to stop Zurg’s plan to make the Unimind “bad” and control the thoughts of everyone in the galaxy.

With its lightweight plot and rubbery, 2-D animation, it’s hard to believe that Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is a Disney•Pixar property. In fact, I wonder how much say Pixar had in allowing a film like this to be made with one of their flagship characters.

That being said, the movie did its job of entertaining my 5-year-old son. And it pains me to say it, but I did catch myself chuckling a few times. Consider some of the Airplane!-esque captions that appeared in the corner of the screen:

[Long shot of galaxy] SPACE. DUH.
[Shot of Zurg’s hideout] ZURG’S TOWER. NOTE BIG GUN ON TOP.

And get a load of this evil command by Zurg: “Target the planet of widows and orphans!”

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command ends with a deux ex machina, just-like-that finish that allows good to triumph over evil (sorry, did I spoil the end of a Disney movie?). The film spawned a short-lived TV series on the Disney Channel – which I should’ve seen coming, since the final credit of the film actually says, “Produced by Walt Disney TV Animation.”

BONUS: The song playing over the closing credits is “To Infinity and Beyond” by William Shatner, sung in his unique spoken-word style: “To…INFINITY…andbeyond.” Much like Buzz Lightyear, the Shatmaster knows no bounds.

Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 5).

Will your kids like it?

• My 5-year-old son ate this movie up, and laughed quite a bit. Not to stereotype, but I bet boys would be drawn more to this movie than girls – though there is a strong female character in the form of Mira Nova.
• The film did have healthy doses of laser gunplay, though only once was a human character hit (he survives) – the rest were all robots of one sort or another.

Will your FilmMother like it?

Hard to say. I know my FilmMother was fine with me watching this film with our son while she was out shopping. Draw your own conclusions from there.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins
* Director: Tad Stones
* Writers: Mark McCorkle, Robert Schooley, Bill Motz, Bob Roth
* Stars: Tim Allen, Nicole Sullivan, Larry Miller, Stephen Furst, Wayne Knight, Adam Carolla, Diedrich Bader
* MPAA Rating: G

Buy this movie for less at Half.com >>