Category Archives: Dave Mullins

2020 Films, Angela Bassett, Angus MacLane, Animated, Best Animated Feature Oscar Winners, Children, Comedy, Dan Scanlon, Dave Mullins, Disney, Drama, Fantasy, Jamie Foxx, June Squibb, Lee Unkrich, Pete Docter, Phylicia Rashad, Rosana Sullivan, Tina Fey, Trent Reznor, Trevor Jimenez

Soul-2020

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Soul-2020

Director Pete Docter

Voices: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey

Scott’s Review #1,172

Reviewed August 18, 2021

Grade: B+

It’s pretty reassuring when a magical animated feature comes down the pike. Too often, the mainstream multiplex summer offerings are trite or too ‘kiddish’ for my tastes.

Soul (2020) is creative, colorful, and sentimental, with a terrific musical score composed by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails).

The writing is fresh and inventive, with gorgeous animation that feels magical. I did not see the film on the big screen and bet it would have made the experience even more delightful.

Soul is not too dark, nor is it too trivial. It strikes a perfect balance between humanism, darkness, and hope. The title can be construed with a double meaning.

Based on the musical angle, the lead character is a piano player, the soul could mean rhythm, but I’m only half right. An out-of-body or celestial experience and the essence of a living being are also part of his soul.

While watching the film, I kept ruminating over how lovely and inspirational a film like Soul is during a crushing pandemic. It has heart and magic.

Unfulfilled music teacher Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) finally lands the gig of a lifetime at the best jazz club in town, supporting legendary Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett). But his excitement gets the best of him, and he stumbles into a maintenance hole on a New York City street.

Lying in a coma, Joe enters a fantastical place: The Great Before. There, he teams up with Soul 22 (Tina Fey), and together they find the answers to some of life’s biggest questions while embarking on a journey in the switched bodies of Joe and a therapy cat.

Set in the massive Big Apple itself, the film offers a wealth of hustle, bustle, and life. I adored the setting. The smoky jazz club, with its sultry set design and creative music, made me feel immersed in the wonderful surroundings.

The story itself slightly confused me when Joe arrived in the “Great Beyond” as a soul. Assuming this meant death, I was relieved when he backtracked to the “Great Before” and met with counselors all named Jerry. The counselors, I realized, prepare unborn souls for life with the help of mentor souls.

This didn’t resonate with me as much as other aspects of the film.

Foxx and Fey are fine doing the voices for Joe and 22, respectively, but they are not the highlight either. I never really thought of either of them throughout the duration. There were better aspects to focus on.

Disney/Pixar’s feature film, which features a black central character, is worthy of mention, and it is about time. Joe’s family is black, adding an incredible mother figure and supporting characters of ethnicity to the fold.

The music, the music, the music! This makes Soul as good a film as it is.

Trent Reznor’s collaboration alone made me eager to see it. His creative use of keyboards and partnership with fellow Nine Inch Nails bandmate Atticus Ross provide proper ambiance to the metaphysical sequences.

A hallucinogenic, trance-like musical beat is unique and trippy.

Younger children may be perplexed or bewildered by much of the activity, so I’m not sure I’d recommend it for that demographic. However, music fans and admirers of rich stories with a subtext of life will likely enjoy the experience and the subsequent message that Soul (2020) provides.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Animated Feature Film (won), Best Original Score (won), Best Sound

2017 Films, Angus MacLane, Animated, Anthony Gonzalez, Benjamin Bratt, Best Animated Feature Oscar Winners, Cheech Marin, Children, Comedy, Dan Scanlon, Dave Mullins, Disney, Drama, Edward James Olmos, Fantasy, Gael García Bernal, John Ratzenberger, Lee Unkrich, Madeline Sharafian, Pete Docter, Trevor Jimenez

Coco-2017

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Coco-2017

Director Lee Unkrich

Voices Anthony Gonzalez, Benjamin Bratt

Scott’s Review #737

Reviewed April 4, 2018

Grade: B+

Winner of the 2017 Best Animated Feature Academy Award, Coco is an exuberant and colorful affair filled with marvelous lights and a Mexican cultural infusion that serves the film well, making it feel robust with diversity and inclusion.

The overall theme of family, traditions, and musical celebration is apparent, making for good razzle-dazzle with lots of upbeat songs and dance.

Mixed in is a lovely inter-generational theme, where older folks are respected, something lacking in today’s real world.

Miguel Rivera is a twelve-year-old boy living in Mexico with his extended family, including his elderly great-grandmother, Coco, who is sadly suffering from intermittent dementia.

Through flashbacks, we learn that Coco’s father (Miguel’s great-great-grandfather) was an aspiring musician who abandoned the family for greener pastures.

Subsequently, the Rivera clan banned all music in favor of a modest shoe-making business.

As Miguel realizes his passion for music, he conflicts with his family, who have other aspirations for the young man. Miguel embarks on a fantastic journey to the magical and somewhat frightening land of his deceased ancestors, coinciding with the festive Day of the Dead celebration, a tradition of Mexican culture.

There he realizes the true nature of his great-great-grandfather’s sudden departure.

Coco is a film that can be enjoyed by all family members and is structured in just that way. The blatant use of multiple generations greatly appeals to the idea of blending the family unit.

Pixar successfully sets all the correct elements in place for a successful film, and the well-written story only adds layers. The film is quite mainstream, yet appealing to the masses.

Perhaps very young viewers may become frightened by some of the skeleton-laced faces of Miguel’s ancestors in the other world where he visits. Still, these images are somewhat tame and mixed with vibrant colors and extraordinary production numbers.

These images are undoubtedly meant to entertain rather than be scary and the creatures possess a friendly vibe.

Having viewed the film on an airplane traveling cross-country (admittedly not the best way to watch a film), the lovely and touching musical number “Remember Me (Lullaby)” entranced me, so much so that I was moved to tears right on the plane.

How’s that for effectiveness?

The emotional level reached via this song impressed me immensely about Coco, even when the story occasionally is secondary to the visual or musical elements.

In fact, the story began to lag slightly until the aforementioned big musical number came into play. The song really kicked the action into high gear emotionally, and I became more enamored with the characters and their connections to one another.

Miguel and his relatives’ love became more apparent, and the conclusion is pleasing and satisfactory.

A slight miss in the film, corrected midway through, is Miguel’s bratty and entitled nature. He heaves sighs when he does not get his way, which seems more apparent early on and was quite the turn-off—at first, I did not care for the character, yet I knew I was supposed to.

Thankfully, the character becomes the hero of the film and ultimately a sweet, likable character. I pondered, “Is that what kids like these days?”

Pixar does it again, creating a family-friendly experience with a positive yet non-cliched message of belonging, forgiveness, and the importance of family connections that feels fresh.

In current times of divisiveness, especially with immigration and other cultures being attacked, how appropriate is it to experience Coco (2017), a feel-good yet not contrived project?

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Original Song-“Remember Me” (won), Best Animated Feature Film (won)

2017 Films, Animated, Dave Mullins, Florian Babikian, Glen Keane, Jan Lachauer, Ru Kuwahata, Shorts

Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films-2017

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Oscar-Nominated Animated Short Films-2017

Directors Glen Keane, Florian Babikian, Dave Mullins, Ru Kuwahata, Jan Lachauer

Scott’s Review #727

Reviewed February 21, 2018

Grade: A-

It was amazing to have the honor of viewing the five short films nominated for the 2017 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at my local art theater.

Far too often dismissed as irrelevant or completely flying under the radar of animated offerings, it is time to champion these fine little pieces of artistic achievement.

Each of the five offers a vastly different experience, on par with or even superseding the full-length animated features. Still, each offers inspired or hopeful messages or dark, devious, and edgy stories.

Below is a review of each Short.

Garden Party-2016

Perhaps the strangest of all the shorts,  the viewer is transported into an eerie world of amphibians.

It seems like a pair, but it is unclear if this is so. They seem to expand or multiply as they follow their primal instincts, navigating a wealthy mansion.

Containing spilled champagne, a revolver, various items, and evidence of a party, the amphibians jump around and communicate from room to room.

When eventually they descend on a dead and bloated fat man in a vast swimming pool, the film ends mysteriously.

The short was impressively a French animation school’s graduation project. Grade: A-

Lou-2017

An impressive Pixar product, Lou is the more accessible of all the entries with a heartfelt and uplifting message.

In this age of school bullying awareness, the piece is essential. Chubby J.J. enjoys snatching other kids’ toys on the playground, keeping them for himself.

A sweet creature named Lou collects lost toys and shapes himself using the toys, returning them to various parts of the playground for the kids to find the next day. When Lou and J.J.’s worlds collide, Lou teaches J.J. a valuable lesson in goodness and fairness.

Lou is an excellent short film that must be seen by small children and adults alike to experience a humanistic, wonderful tale. Grade: A

Dear Basketball-2017 (won)

The shortest of all the entries, Dear Basketball, is a piece written by NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. It features a lovely narrative by a young boy (presumably Bryant himself) who develops a love for the game of basketball and his inevitable rise among the ranks of athletes.

As he ages, his body wears down, and he realizes his time on the court has ended.

The storytelling in Dear Basketball inspires young boys and girls everywhere. Although it is a piece about basketball, it can be an inspired message about anything.

My one slight gripe to this Short is its minimal length and I wonder if it could have been fleshed out slightly. Grade: B+

Revolting Rhymes-2016

By far my favorite of the bunch and also by far the longest in length, Revolting Rhymes is based on the book of the same name by legendary author Roald Dahl.

It is a dark and disturbing collection of intertwined fairy tales.

As a wolf engages an older woman in a coffee shop and regales her with stories of his two nephews, he incorporates the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and the Three Little Pigs into his storytelling until the wolf does something dire to the woman.

The short is only part one of a two-part collection as part one concludes with a cliffhanger assuring the viewer will see the next chapter.

With a crisp written story and intelligent premise, Revolting Rhymes is the most unique and deserving of the Oscar statuette since its complexities make it the most cerebral. Grade: A

Negative Space-2017

Negative Space, another wonderful French nugget, is an exemplary stop-motion story about an odd relationship between a father and son.

The pair’s psychological elements are not too heavily dissected, but with a longer piece, they could have some bonding issues. The father works as a frequently traveling businessman, and father and son strangely bond solely over packing a suitcase and the efforts to never leave an inch of suitcase space underutilized.

As the father eventually dies and lies in a coffin, the son is bothered by the leftover space the coffin leaves.

A macabre and humorous Short, I was left wanting more backstory of said father and son, but what a clever tale Negative Space is. Grade: A

2000 Films, Angela Lansbury, Animated, Ben Sharpsteen, Bette Midler, Children, Chris Sanders, Dave Mullins, Disney, James Earl Jones, Les Clark, Quincy Jones, Steve Martin

Fantasia 2000-2000

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Fantasia 2000-2000

Director James Algar, Various

Starring Steve Martin, Bette Midler

Scott’s Review #535

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Reviewed December 4, 2016

Grade: B+

Fantasia 2000 is a visually stunning remake of the 1940 Disney film. The modern version was produced by Roy Disney, nephew of the famous Walt Disney.

There are nine segments in total, each set to a classical music piece. Masterpieces such as Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven and Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin are featured.

The Rhapsody piece is a gorgeous story of four individuals who dream of a better life in 1930s New York City. The four do not know each other, but their lives intersect uniquely.

Each segment is introduced by a celebrity: Steve Martin, Angela Lansbury, Bette Midler, and Quincy Jones appear, adding helpful thought and interpretation.

The final piece, in particular, is both moving and breathtaking. Firebird Suite-1919 version- by Stravinsky tells of a sprite (an ethereal entity), awoken by her companion, an elk, as a volcanic spirit has erupted in the peaceful forest, burning it down. The sprite must work to rebuild the peaceful land.

It is an earnest, heartbreaking piece.

Being somewhat of a film traditionalist, I prefer the original slightly, but this version is great.

Fantasia 2000 is wonderful to look at.

2015 Films, Amy Poehler, Animated, Best Animated Feature Oscar Winners, Bill Hader, Bobby Moynihan, Children, Dan Scanlon, Dave Mullins, Diane Lane, Disney, Flea, John Ratzenberger, Kyle MacLachlan, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Paula Poundstone, Pete Docter, Phyllis Smith, Rashida Jones, Richard Kind

Inside Out-2015

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Inside Out-2015

Director Pete Docter

Starring Amy Poehler, Diane Lane

Scott’s Review #272

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Reviewed September 8, 2015

Grade: B+

Frequently, when I view a modern animated feature, (and by contemporary, I mean 1990 and beyond), I am either bored or left with a “meh” feeling, or both. It seems the trend is “Let’s create a manufactured film that will appeal to kids who will drag their parents to it”.

It is almost as if mediocrity is accepted in the animated film, but Inside Out (2015) challenges this trend with a thoughtful, interesting slab of story.

With this latest Pixar offering, we find a refreshing, intelligent film that makes the viewer think, containing a genuine cute factor, with lots of colors and interesting animation interspersed throughout.

Our story finds eleven-year-old Riley Anderson, and her five different personalities, working within her brain in unison. The emotions are five distinct little people representing (and named) Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger. They overlap, conflict, and humorously strive to take control of Riley’s mind and thought processes.

Joy is central, and the happiest of emotions. They all live in Riley’s conscious mind, named Headquarters.

One day, Riley and her family pack up and move from Minnesota to the unknown and overwhelming city of San Francisco to capitalize on a job opportunity offered to Riley’s father.

The city is bustling and the family is thrown for a loop. Riley in particular has difficulty adjusting to this vastly different world and finds herself friendless and acting out of character.

Sadness accidentally begins touching other emotions within Riley’s mind, which sets off strange emotions causing her to behave erratically and become irritable.

Joy and Sadness struggle to return to Headquarters and fix the issues.

Inside Out is a complex animated film and will go way above the heads of many youngsters who will undoubtedly see it.

I find this rather refreshing.

It is a coming-of-age tale for adults and mature kids that challenges its audience rather than spitting out a retread or formulaic family story that we have seen countless times.

Riley and her parents are arguably supporting players in the story, taking a back seat to the small, interesting creatures in Riley’s mind. Her mind is a carnival of riches and cool characters emerge. I smiled as more characters were introduced. Riley’s imaginary friend from years ago, Bing Bong, was pulled to the forefront of her emotions, as he was sadly forgotten in her mind.

Who cannot relate to this? A childhood ritual of creating a friend.

I adored the trip through Riley’s mind and marveled at the revelation of the inner workings of her mind, with creative colors and bright interesting lights.

What a super-cool adventure for a young film lover to experience! Inside Out is quite sophisticated.

The main concern is the level of patience that this film requires. It is not a force-fed story but encourages one to experience and feel.

Touching scenes prevail, but the message I receive from Inside Out is important. A multitude of emotions in every human being is normal and the way the film shows them overlap and work together is ingenious. Nobody is one emotion, nor should they be as the movie promotes successfully.

Human beings are meant to feel.

The film also contains humor. I laughed out loud when one character saw a button labeled “puberty” and assumed it was unimportant. This inside joke is also alluded to after the film- a sequel perhaps? Since Riley is only eleven, puberty will be a natural progression.

Inside Out challenges the norm in animated films and entices audiences to think. It feels genuine, which is impressive in itself. It is sentimental without feeling contrived or corny.

The film succeeds on many levels.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Original Screenplay, Best Animated Feature Film (won)