Animation and Design

Posts Tagged ‘Incredibles’

I confess to the reader that until recently had not had a chance to see all of the eighth animated feature film of the house at this point, is the most important genre since Walter Elias Disney founded the Walt Disney Company. At least in Western cinema. And I had not seen in its entirety by one of those strange quirks that, together with coincidences, impossible to watch a movie until long after its release. And what I saw I did not like anything spectacular, especially compared with ‘The Incredibles’ (‘ The Incredibles’ Brad Bird, 2004) or ‘Finding Nemo’ (‘Finding Nemo, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, 2003). It turns out that ‘Ratatouille’ (id, Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, 2007) belongs to such “movies river”, which may leave some indifferent if sequences are loose, however brilliant they may be, and is only perceived ingenuity in their overwhelming if viewed from beginning to end, without interruption, and you just drag so comfortable with a torrent of imagination with which it is impossible not to have a great time.

I say this because I have a habit of reviewing movies big loose strings, to encourage or inspire me, and some stories this is impossible. They are so calculated in its entirety, which must clockwork, the only way to access a strange complicity with them is making them to look whole, which is what I have done almost four times in a row with ‘Ratatouille’ before I started this writing. And so I have seen how far Pixar, and his fabulous team of writers, they know to grab the viewer’s attention with diabolical precision, and do not let go until the very end, armed with an arsenal of amazingly well-laid traps for even the most veteran moviegoer, or bloody Analyst (I myself …) fall exhausted, forget everything, and are delivered seamlessly and passionately to consummate storytelling wonderful of these individuals, who know very well what they are doing , which gang of conspirators. So much so that ‘Ratatouille’ has become, at FNAL, my favorite Pixar movie next to that enjoyed ‘Toy Story 3′ (id, Lee Unkrich) that raised so much praise last year.

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More than a remedy for grief, as it was for example ‘Young Frankenstein’ (‘Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks, 1974), Brad Bird movie directed in 2004 the PIXAR’ The Incredibles ‘(‘ The Incredibles ‘), is an island in the gray ocean current gringo films. After several jingoism or new versions of Greek myths, I go through pictures from this adventure, and you’re as new as if you had washed Lourdes sins, or something. It’s almost like back, faith in cinema across the Atlantic. This year, many say ‘Toy Story 3′ (id, Lee Unkrich) U.S. is the best film of 2010, and it may be. Have long been giving the boys Lasseter joys, and sweeping the Oscar for best animated film. Today I want to talk about a movie that, well, I think it is a marvel of visual ingenuity. How can spend a hundred minutes so incredibly fast and leave like much more to the point that you would give anything to see the family cope with this savage Underminer? How deep can soups to virtually all of the adventure films of that country in terms of action, creativity, hooliganism, intelligence?

With the recent success of ‘Finding Nemo’ (‘Finding Nemo, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, 2003), which had risen fun animation and some levels difficult to achieve for the rest of us, those were exceeded PIXAR themselves, as they usually do (and how to make great) with his sixth feature, a study confirming that they are up to the legends of American classic films in their identity and self-imposed one hand, and are willing to conquer the future cinema, on the other, his film more dynamic, playful and deceptively fast. ‘The Incredibles’ is a homage / parody of the films and superhero stories. As homage, is far superior to any other genre, thanks to a script and staging absolutely free, which makes the film a platform to show the endless adventure, the imagination the only limit. As a parody, is a near-perfect comedy and shows that the talent for this form of expression is as alive as in his heyday.

For me, ‘The Incredibles’ is the apex of a rising triad, along with ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘Monsters, Inc. “(” Monsters, inc.’, Pete Docter, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich, 2002), in both characters, the relationships between them, are enriched, refined and debugged, up to this story as real as life itself, in which two superheroes decided to settle down (beset by a popular outcry against the who are like them) and start a family, forever forgetting to use their superpowers and exciting adventures arriegadas, cutting the roots with all that makes them special and helps them to feel fulfilled in life. The tone of wild fun of the movie fails to mask completely the parable about the psychic need to do more to life than sitting in the office eight hours from Monday to Friday and go out to distract the weekend. The superpowers, therefore, as a metaphor for believing in yourself and accepting one’s identity. Big words, which place this story far beyond other Disney (just put some money and distribution, thank God) that beauty is inside …

There is no talk here of beauty, or issues like that. The feeling you have is to attend a completely real life, so living in a family, dysfunctional as they are all, to survive the routine needs of adrenaline and energy of knowing different, to exploit the best there is within them, to feel alive. The wonderful screenplay by Brad Bird, who signs solo exploits all the dramatic possibilities of this proposal to its logical conclusion, then, already work address, known to give every detail, every scene and every character, time, its rhythm and its place in history. That is, without fanfare or poetic art, does what so many teachers succeeded every year in classic American cinema: everything is in place by one or several good reasons, and that everything has a reason and a purpose, a clockwork designed to captivate us without the least dismay, making romancing his best weapon, and embracing simplicity and universality as their big guns.

Nor is there in ‘The Incredibles’ a message or an image of traditional Disney-style family, that is sweetened and idelizando the affective core. This film comes to thrilling because in addition to receiving each of the five members as real people, our identification with them is total, direct and uncomplicated living. While Mr. Incredible, that handsome savior has now moved into pen-pushers Fondón, his wife, who was called Elastigirl, has become a hysterical housewife and a considerable tambourine. But not only they are incredibly well characterized: two sons, representing the classic hyperactive child rearing and insecure and shy, and as befits their personality traits are a kid with super speed, and she a girl can become invisible and create force fields to protect themselves. With these elements, and the bad guy making the rounds, we get a story that is almost entirely a large block of action, once again the parents decide who they were. The escalation of ideas, jokes, sight gags, camera, persecutions, great scenes, is such that however much one has seen much film can only keep the mouth open.

With music by Michael Giacchino that exaggerates stereotypes and reinventing the Bond saga narrative, we find that house paradise islands in the jungle monsters, villains, geeks with hairstyles impossible, containment units, space rockets that carry weapons DEFINT, cascades that open mechanically , living rooms decorated with a wall of lava, guns impossible, reckless thugs, dens, shuttles … but also a lot of irony and, above all, an amazing dynamic, thanks to a staging that relies on the speed of assimilation of the viewer, and therefore uses the entire wafer assembly, with rapid zoom, depth of field with a more than remarkable, suggesting a film image of an energy and overwhelming force. And like animation lends itself to a director and a talented team to do what the imagination dictates, because here we can enjoy a fun, I think, anyone anywhere in the world, regardless of their cultural, their ideology and their tastes.

Megamind 1

The Dreamworks animated film has a label clearly marked in a movie where the entertainment is its maximum, the stories turn seek a more or less original in its execution schedules and trite technique is of great bill. Still, although comparisons are odious, but inevitable in cases like this, live in the shadow of Disney / Pixar. Not so much for being behind in terms of artistic results, which are complicated but it’s something to match, but because they choose stories whose draft is usually lower.

In ‘Megamind’ are a true reflection of ‘The Incredibles’ (which do not hide the writers Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons.) A vision of the superhero from Dreamworks wanted to give back than usual. Try this duality (and rivalry) between the hero and the villain and show that the presence of one is meaningless without the other and how they feel, think and raise their relationship in the imaginary world of superheroes. Although in this case come from a distant galaxy.

The film achieves its greatest success in this very approach. It’s interesting how shows where the good, the hero whose boredom finally affected to the point of considering a withdrawal. And the evil whose only motivation and execution passes through the loser in every fight. Until the time, this scenario takes a turn and both reflect on their role. It is when we see that other side, the intimacy of the villain and the hero and his conclusions. As we say, this is very well presented, is the most original and remarkable, but to achieve the effect is to give up a blistering pace and increase the scenes full of dialogue, where the stresses based narrative scenes situation dilated.

Megamind 2
‘Megamind’ and irregular rhythm

Here again the comparison fits. Because where Dreamworks (or Tom McGrath, the director) needs, and not just what we have seen in this ‘Megamind’ several minutes, plenty of scenes and dialogues abusing stressed in Disney / Pixar solve it in one fell swoop, with simple scenes , strong and sublime narrative synthesis.

Here is where the adult viewer extracts the maximum essence of ‘Megamind’ and children are restless in the chair waiting for the long-awaited confrontation, action and fun you expect from an animated movie (in 3D). Although a bit late in coming and dilate over the arrival of the show. Well done in the last third of the film.

But ‘Megamind’ despite its successful resolution, without disappointing but did not reach the brilliance, suffers from lack of faith. Little faith when sharpening to parody, to impose on the action scenes throughout the essence (they are not exactly the best) and the presence of a weak character who provides a point of weakness, interest, and whose resolution is too “articial” bringing out the cadences of the cinema conceived as an industrial product, the mainstream with a lack of risk, daring and, as noted, faith in the issues raised and cross the line from the conventional.

Megamind 3
Good characters except for the girl

The clearest example is found in Roxanne Ritchie, reporter, that character is merely a parody of Lois Lane (and one of the many tributes to ‘Superman’, his main reference), and is by far the weakest of Side Gallery. It shows little faith or little inspiration perhaps, in time to include this character whose sosez hampers the film, like the scenes of blue with her protagonist, a love story so sappy and dull and lazy.

We cannot say the same about the rest, that nice Minion, faithful partner or tubestations cocky hero, and all a showman. Characters whose presence gives the film richness and comic moments and fun. And of course Megamind, friendly, recurrent, deep and original hero status for his forced to be the bad guy (although we have only recently Gru).

However, the bill serial product, should not overshadow the great successes: the universe multireferential, winks moviegoers properly installed (great parody Brandon half the father of Superman, half Godfather) and to gain the empathy of the viewer, and some dialogs and comic situations that manage to give luster to the whole (despite the choice of music and underused desarcertada). Whole also gains when it becomes histrionic, wild and let the fun flowing with that point of riot to the delight of many.