BuzzSugar

Buzz's Favorite Animated Voices

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:36:10 -0700

A lot of animated films owe a huge part of their appeal and success to the talented voices behind the characters. The characters might already exist on paper, but - just like their human counterparts - they can't truly come to life until the actors dig in and figure out who they're portraying. With Wall-E on the horizon, I thought back on a few of my favorite voices from animated films of yore. To check out some of my picks, hit "Start." Source

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Spielberg's Next Project: Scholastic's 39 Clues

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:44:24 -0700

After the crazy success of the fourth Indiana Jones movie, what's one of Hollywood's biggest directors to do? Why, turn a "multi-media adventure" into a huge film franchise, of course.

DreamWorks has acquired the rights to Scholastic's "multiplatform adventure series" titled The 39 Clues. The whole thing will include books, movies and opportunities for kids to become little sleuths. Variety explains:

The 39 Clues, which launches Sept. 9, is envisioned as a 10-book series to be released over two years. It's described as a multimedia adventure that will include a set of collectible cards and an online game that will serve as a portal as young readers try to solve a mystery for a grand prize of $10,000.

The focus of The 39 Clues is the most powerful family in the world, the Cahills, who count Napoleon and Houdini among their relatives. Readers will be challenged to discover the source of the family's powers, revealed through 39 clubs that are hidden around the world and scattered throughout history.

DreamWorks co-chair/CEO Stacey Snider claims "There is enough material here for three or four movies," (which Spielberg would probably direct) and that she's excited about the project not just as a film professional, but as a mother. Spielberg noted that The 39 Clues takes "creative leaps to expand the story experience from the pages of the books to multiple stages of discovery and imagination." From a man who possesses a phenomenal imagination himself, his interest in the project is high praise. I'm curious to see how this whole thing turns out.

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Kung Fu Panda: Defies Expectations

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:30:20 -0700

Before seeing Kung Fu Panda, I guessed the plot went something like this: A big dopey Jack Black-voiced panda bear dreams of becoming a kung fu fighter but has to reach deep within himself to find the courage to do so. In the process, the naysayers that surround said panda will learn a little something about judging a book by its cover. And it turns out, this is basically the case. However, going into it I wasn't worried that I knew the storyline, I was worried that it would be dull. If this tired premise isn't done well, it's just boring and a waste of time.

But the truth is, I was surprised and delighted by the filmmakers' decision to just stick to making this movie what it should be: light, visually interesting, and funny. It's as if they were telling us (grown-ups): "Look, we know a movie about a panda doing kung fu is just fun and we're not going to bore you with animated animal soul-searching. Instead, we're going to give you a cute, totally conventional story, without pausing to explore what makes the praying mantis tick."

To which I would like to respond with: thank you DreamWorks! To see why I thoroughly enjoyed myself at this flick and why I think it's the perfect summertime family film, read more.

The word that keeps springing to mind when I think about this movie is "surprising." Jack Black is surprisingly restrained and while there is no mistaking that voice, this is a warmer and fuzzier Jack Black: charming, sweet, a little bumbling, but the nicest guy in the world. And all of those words also describe Po, the chubby, out of shape panda at the center of the story. Po works in his father's noodle shop but dreams of one day becoming a kung fu master like his idols, the Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Monkey (Jackie Chan), who have all been taught by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman).

According to a prophesy, it turns out Po is destined to save his village from a scary villain. Po's destiny makes the Furious Five resent him, and it means that the cranky Shifu has to teach the big clumsy panda kung fu. This is where I thought we'd be in for some predictable wax-on-wax-off moments, but again I was surprised by how lovely and irreverent the scenes were between Po and Shifu. Once it's time to get down to business and the kung fu really gets going, it is surprisingly good. It's no Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon but it's genuinely exciting and well-executed.

Another example of smart decision-making has to do with Po's dad - who is a bird. The movie flirts with explaining how this is possible, but hilariously never goes for that father-son moment where he admits Po isn't really his. Instead, we just giggle along with the absurdity of it. In the end, it's a briskly paced movie that is aware of how many times the audience has seen this same thing (be it an animated feature or a martial arts film) and figures a way around all that monotony by piling on the charm and honing in on the sweet nature of the story. You'll probably leave wearing a surprised little smile.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

NY Magazine Already Panning The Lovely Bones

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 May 2007 15:14:56 -0700

Last week I brought you the news that Peter Jackson has written a screenplay adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones, a story told from the viewpoint of a 14-year-old girl who was raped and murdered. All Jackson neeeded was a studio to give him the money - and a lot of it. Variety claims the budget for Bones could run close to $90 million. Well, Jackson got someone to bite: DreamWorks.

So what will $90 million get you? New York Magazine has already reviewed Jackson's screenplay and the verdict is not great. Noting Jackson's successful fantasy-drama Heavenly Creatures, the New York Magazine writer figured The Lovely Bones would be equally promising. Not so, apparently.

Jackson doesn't get into Susie's head the way he did Pauline and Juliet's, and the incursion of the supernatural into everyday life feels showy rather than integral. The fantasy scenes in Heavenly Creatures were momentous, despite the shakiness of the special effects; though it's certain that the effects in The Lovely Bones will be brilliant, the scenes in Heaven, and Susie's interaction with Earth, don't have much magic on the page.

It certainly seems premature to dis on a movie that has a long way to go before it's a presentable film ready for critique, though I can't deny this article makes me slightly nervous for The Lovely Bones.

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Hugh Jackman Is the Real Steel Deal

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:30:58 -0700

Hugh Jackman is no stranger to a little heavy metal after spending so much time in Wolverine's claws, but he'll be all man in his next project. Jackman is in talks to star in Real Steel, an upcoming family film from Dreamworks set in the future. The movie follows a father and son duo who work to get a boxer back into fighting shape. Here's the kicker: their fighter is participating in an illegal human vs. robot boxing tournament.

You'd think jacked-up Jackman would play the boxer, but he's actually circling the role of the father. Steven Spielberg will be executive producing the project. This movie sounds like it could be fun, though I have to admit that I prefer my robots to be on the cute side rather than the badass side.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:30:24 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the movies below, there's also Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience and Madonna's directorial debut Filth and Wisdom. Check out this week's picks!

Away We Go

John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph star as an expecting, road-tripping couple in this indie comedy drama directed by Sam Mendes. I loved the quirky humor that came from not only the leads, but a star-studded cast of supporting characters played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, Alison Janney, and Catherine O'Hara. It may not be as laugh-out-loud as the two leads' usual work, but if you're looking for a sweetly funny flick you may like Away We Go. The DVD and Blu-ray have a making-of featurette, a commentary track, and a behind-the-scenes feature about how the filmmakers tried to make the production more environmentally friendly.

66%

See two more new releases when you read more.

Management

Jennifer Aniston stars as an everyday gal in the comedy Management. Steve Zahn is the shy hotel manager who meets and falls in love with her immediately, and Woody Harrelson is the has-been boyfriend he's trying to woo her away from. It's not the straightforward romantic comedy you'd expect from Aniston, which I don't mind at all, and Zahn's so adorable he can make stalker-like behavior seem OK. On the DVD are a commentary track, a gag reel, and deleted scenes.

44%

Monsters vs. Aliens

Monsters vs. Aliens boasts the vocal stylings of Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy, a woman who's hit by a meteor and turns into a giant as a result. The 3D movie from Dreamworks is definitely kid-friendly fare, but I tend to enjoy modern animated movies like this, especially when they also have the voices of Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, and Stephen Colbert. The DVD and Blu-ray discs have tons of special features, like music videos, deleted scenes, and the technology behind the movie.

72%