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Oh, Rammfen. I'm not even going to clarify what it is I'm "Rammfenning" about, because what they're speculating about is no one's business, and no, Wikipedia isn't a reliable source until it's been sourced. And if it is true, then how are these people getting this information, and how unethical do you have to be to disseminate it throughout the fandom? I have serious doubts about the veracity of this rumor based on something I read earlier today, but even if it is true, then it's not necessarily the end of the goddamned world. Let's try a novel approach for fandom and wait until the facts emerge before we break out the prayer chains and hand-wringing.
In less cryptic maunderings, I saw Cars 2 this afternoon. The theater was packed, so it's going to make stupid amounts of money, but I think this was the first Pixar venture that was a blatant moneygrab. Yes, all the previous films were produced with the hope making a profit, but it was also clear that the story had come before the trappings of marketing and tie-ins; story was paramount. The earlier films in the Pixar pantheon weren't complicated; in fact, it could be argued that they were simplistic, even trite in construction, but in execution they were brilliant because they touched a chord in many of us, elicited emotions that most of us had that ossified and dormant in our adult souls. We recognized the characters and the situation in which they found themselves because despite being CGI renderings, they were utterly, inescapably human. Even Cars, the preachiest entry in the Pixar oeuvre, tapped into the nostalgia for a simpler, slower pace.
But Cars 2 was clearly made solely to peddle toys. It's a rollicking adventure, to be sure, and not boring, but it is also oddly soulless, a patchwork of colorful toys dragging along a threadbare, nonsensical plot. They crafted the story around the toy line instead of allowing the story to give rise to treasured characters. Matters were not helped by the fact that the plot centers, not on the charming denizens of Radiator Springs, but on Mater the towtruck and his zany, bumbling antics as he's drawn into a Bondian spy plot. I like Mater in small doses, but he's not strong enough to support an entire movie on the basis of constant blundering and obnoxious caterwauling. The movie gains strength once the rest of the Radiator Springs crew turn up in the final act, but by then it's too late to elevate the film above mediocre bombast.
That said, the world-building is amazing. A Carified world is spectacular, and the attention to detail on that score was loving and exquisite. The scene with Mater and the high-tech, Tokyo toilet was genius. So was Sig Hansen and the Northwestern's turn as Crabby in the movie's opening.
A bloodless film, but still well-crafted enough to be entertaining. B, and the first Pixar film not to get an A from me.
On a final note, a roaring thunderstorm took out the power for a second near the end of the film, and for several tense moments, a theater full of parents faced the possibility of a theater full of disappointed, crying children. Some of the parents had five and six children, and I could hear the unease ripple through the crowd. Fortunately for everyone--including the theater, which would have had to issue refunds or free passes for future showings--the power returned immediately, and the projectionist was able to restart the film from its previous position and re-synch the audio. Sometimes, the digital age of film has its perks.
In less cryptic maunderings, I saw Cars 2 this afternoon. The theater was packed, so it's going to make stupid amounts of money, but I think this was the first Pixar venture that was a blatant moneygrab. Yes, all the previous films were produced with the hope making a profit, but it was also clear that the story had come before the trappings of marketing and tie-ins; story was paramount. The earlier films in the Pixar pantheon weren't complicated; in fact, it could be argued that they were simplistic, even trite in construction, but in execution they were brilliant because they touched a chord in many of us, elicited emotions that most of us had that ossified and dormant in our adult souls. We recognized the characters and the situation in which they found themselves because despite being CGI renderings, they were utterly, inescapably human. Even Cars, the preachiest entry in the Pixar oeuvre, tapped into the nostalgia for a simpler, slower pace.
But Cars 2 was clearly made solely to peddle toys. It's a rollicking adventure, to be sure, and not boring, but it is also oddly soulless, a patchwork of colorful toys dragging along a threadbare, nonsensical plot. They crafted the story around the toy line instead of allowing the story to give rise to treasured characters. Matters were not helped by the fact that the plot centers, not on the charming denizens of Radiator Springs, but on Mater the towtruck and his zany, bumbling antics as he's drawn into a Bondian spy plot. I like Mater in small doses, but he's not strong enough to support an entire movie on the basis of constant blundering and obnoxious caterwauling. The movie gains strength once the rest of the Radiator Springs crew turn up in the final act, but by then it's too late to elevate the film above mediocre bombast.
That said, the world-building is amazing. A Carified world is spectacular, and the attention to detail on that score was loving and exquisite. The scene with Mater and the high-tech, Tokyo toilet was genius. So was Sig Hansen and the Northwestern's turn as Crabby in the movie's opening.
A bloodless film, but still well-crafted enough to be entertaining. B, and the first Pixar film not to get an A from me.
On a final note, a roaring thunderstorm took out the power for a second near the end of the film, and for several tense moments, a theater full of parents faced the possibility of a theater full of disappointed, crying children. Some of the parents had five and six children, and I could hear the unease ripple through the crowd. Fortunately for everyone--including the theater, which would have had to issue refunds or free passes for future showings--the power returned immediately, and the projectionist was able to restart the film from its previous position and re-synch the audio. Sometimes, the digital age of film has its perks.
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