Posts tagged Science Fiction
“Alice in Wonderland” Designed to Amaze Instead of Amuse
Mar 11th
Posted by Channel 1 Networks in Hotshots Movie Reviews
Designed to Amaze Instead of Amuse
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
ALICE IN WONDERLAND is the 2010 version of Lewis Carroll’s wonderful ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND and THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS, it is produced by the Disney Studios and directed by Tim Burton, and it stars Johnny Depp and is definitely not your childhood ALICE.
In fact, I saw one father lead his young child out of the theater only halfway through.
And, of course, it is just the latest in a long line of recent movies to jump onto the rushing bandwagon of 3-D movies. Hang onto your seats, hang onto your glasses, and hang onto your hats.
Speaking of hats, The Mad Hatter is the star of this version, as played by Depp, and not Alice.
Oh, Alice is there, of course, but she is all grown up now. She is 19, and the premise is that she went down the rabbit hole as a child and had those amazing adventures, but her memories of that experience are just in the form of the same dream that she has had for as long as she can remember.
So, at the beginning of the movie, Alice accompanies her mother to what turns out to be a surprise engagement party for Alice to Lord Hamish, an awkward, unpleasant man for whom Alice has absolutely no feelings whatsoever.
When Lord Hamish proposes to Alice in front of all the guests, Alice says, “I think I . . . I need a moment,” and she rushes away after a white rabbit that she had seen in the bushes.
A white rabbit in a blue waistcoat, naturally, and thus begins Alice’s new adventures in what is here called “Underland.”
All the usual suspects are here, although you might realize that a few are missing or have lesser roles than in the original.
It has been foretold that Alice herself on Frabjous Day will slay the terrifying Jabberwork, which is imprisoned by the evil Queen of Hearts, played by Helena Bonham Carter with a big head, and thereby free the inhabitants of Underland from the tyranny of the Red Queen.
Yes, Dear Audience, it is Alice in Wonderland meets The Lord of the Rings.
And you have to believe that director Burton had more fun designing the film than in directing it or rewriting the beloved story.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND is designed to amaze instead of amuse.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
Alice in Wonderland – Movie Trailer
Mar 5th
Posted by Channel 1 Networks in Movie Trailers
Director Tim Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King) team up to deliver this visually dazzling take on the classic Lewis Carroll tale. Nineteen-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is attending party at a lavish country estate when she sees a white rabbit with a pocket watch dart into the bushes. Curious, she follows the rabbit to an enormous tree, and tumbles down a hole that takes her to Underland, a strange world inhabited by anthropomorphic creatures in search of someone to save them from the dreaded Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), who has assumed control of the kingdom by decapitating anyone who dares disagree with her. According to a scroll detailing a historical timeline of Underland — including events that have not yet taken place — it is Alice who will set the kingdom free by defeating the Jabberwocky, a powerful dragon-like creature under the control of the Red Queen. But is this Alice the same Alice who appears in the scroll? While some of the creatures of Underland have their doubts, the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and his friends are certain she’s the same girl who previously visited them years ago. When the Red Queen kidnaps the Mad Hatter, Alice attempts to free her friend and locate the one weapon with the power to slay the Jabberwocky, thereby restoring the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) to the throne, and bringing peace back to Underland.
“The Princess and the Frog” Too Sophisticated for Its Own Good
Jan 13th
Posted by Channel 1 Networks in Hotshots Movie Reviews
Too Sophisticated for Its Own Good
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is the latest animated film from the Walt Disney Studios, and it received a lot of publicity for having the appearance of the first Disney African-American princess.
Well, not exactly.
That may be true at the end of the movie, but what is probably more noteworthy is that at the beginning of the movie there is the appearance of one of the main characters who is an African-American prince.
And although the story is inspired by a fairy tale and contains many bits of fantasy, it is not a fairy tale, but takes place in the reality-based early 1900s down in New Orleans.
The story contains stereotypes right and left, and it panders to children up and down, and then you realize that the stereotypes were all mostly created by old Disney movies to begin with. In fact, this movie even steals from old movies.
When it opens, we see two young children, Tiana and Charlotte, who love to be told the story of “The Frog Prince.” Tiana is black, Charlotte is white, and through the magic of movie editing they become grown up, and the story becomes nothing more than “Cinderella” turned upside down, inside out, and inverted.
In addition, it contains messages that adults might consider suspect to be taught to children, such as you can get what you want just by wishing for it.
One character says to another, “The real power in this world ain’t magic.
It’s money.”
And then you realize that this movie isn’t for kids. It is for adults under the guise of being for kids. That fact is made obvious by all the drinking that is shown, and I don’t mean milk and juice.
To its credit, however, the movie redeems itself about the money bit and even the bit about wishing for what you want.
However, forget about any moral of “Love conquers all.” The moral of this movie that makes you wonder if Disney even tries anymore is “Magic conquers all.”
And as further proof that this movie isn’t really for kids, the children in the theater at the showing that I attended all got bored during it and started running all around the auditorium.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is too sophisticated for its own good, which makes it perfect for adults.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”