Starts off fast but soon runs out of fuel. Still an enjoyable ride though. Theo, a garden snail, always dreamed of living the fast life and racing in the Indy 500. However, his brother, friends, and Mother Nature herself seems to disagree. After one freak accident, he finds himself living the fast paced life he always dreamed of. After leaving the garden he never considered his home, he and his brother find themselves under the care of the socially-awkward fast-food worker, Tito. Just like Theo, Tito dreams of something bigger than being a simple Mexican selling Tacos to tourists. Risking all the money Tito and his friends have, they decide to go to Indianapolis and enter Turbo in the Indy 500 in hopes for achieving their dreams. After Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University, Dreamworks enters the competition with Turbo. It did not disappoint but it did have some troubles in terms of keeping the creativity alive until the end. Needless to say, it still possesses what an underdog story requires and good enough to keep little children entertained. The premise of the film is quite interesting and it brings something new to that small dreamer with big dreams concept. It reminds me of Pixar's Ratatouille but does not come close though. There are lots of similarities such as the tiny dreamer being an animal, the big dream of being a racer and being a chef, the challenges the main characters had to face such as the unbelieving and not supportive family, the company and love they receive from a human and finally, just like any animated film, the happy ever after they get when they reach their dreams. What lacked in Turbo that Ratatouille had was the craziness. Turbo started off great and was on the run but soon finds itself slowing down and ventured into familiar and predictable territory. Another aspect wherein it might have failed is the lack of conflict. When Turbo was still Theo, in other words: slow, he had so much conflict in his life that you would sympathize and feel sorry for him. You would want to help this little guy achieve his dreams of racing in the Indy 500. However, the moment his life is sped up, most if not all seems to fall into their rightful places. There are problems he would encounter but they would all be given a solution easily. Just like the name, there is a feeling of hastiness leading towards the climax. It somehow feels rushed that you would be surprised that you are already in the climax of the film without having felt the build-up before it. In relation to the climax and build-up, I had some concerns with regards to the establishment of the characters' plan of action in order to achieve their dreams. Theo dreams of racing while Tito dreams of making his brother's restaurant known. Each of them has a clear goal in mind but the problem they face is how will they achieve their individual dreams by working together. I'm more than confident that the answer is clear even to the youngest viewer in the audience. Question is, why did it take so long for the movie to give us the obvious answer? This is for Theo to race in order to bring fame to Tito's brother's restaurant. In another aspect of the film, I really like the different characters in the movie. They were very entertaining especially the racing snails. The voice cast were perfect and they managed to bring lots of laughter and variety to the movie. Each were memorable in their own distinct way. Turbo also manages to set the bar high for animated films in terms of animation and editing. The environment was great and it was visually stunning. I personally like the part where Theo was looking at the passing cars on the highway, the use of time lapse was very pleasing to the eyes and also a great juxtaposition to the slow moving snail that's observing them. Overall, Turbo is a fun film filled with hope and dreams that encourages children to never give up their dreams no matter how small they are and how big their dream is. It manages to entertain and gives a few good laughs from the audience without the need of innuendos for the adults. I just have to say that this film is really more focused for the children's entertainment. The faults and shortcomings noticed by the adults would most definitely not interest the children. Rating: 3/5
Cute and entertaining for children and adults alike. In continuation with the first movie, ex-villain Gru (Steve Carell) is now a full-time father to his adoptive daughters Margo, Agnes, and Edith. He is an overly protective father and makes sure that his daughters get the best of things they deserve. He also stopped with his evil schemes and started using his inventions for more creative and harmless ways. Meanwhile, a secret laboratory in the Arctic which contains a biological weapon (no this isn't a zombie flick) is mysteriously stolen. This causes the Anti-Villain League (AVL) to respond and decides that they should get someone who knows how a villain thinks. What a surprise, they choose Gru. Initially refusing, he agrees to take on the job and is partnered with the eccentric AVL agent Lucy (Kristen Wiig). This movie is actually one of the films I have been waiting for since last year. The first movie was great and it made me so excited yet also doubtful when I first saw the minion teasers. True enough, the movie did not fail. It may not have able to surpass its predecessor but its original and creative in its own way. One reason why I was also doubtful about this movie before watching it was in regards to what direction are they taking the characters for the sequel. The first film ended with the villain turning into a good guy. That's almost the perfect ending and can make do without a sequel already. So the greatest challenge that this film had was how are they going to develop the characters even further and in what way will they make it work. This time, they chose to bring out the romantic element while still incorporating family values. What I really loved about this film is that it really kept me in a good mood from beginning until the end. The punch lines and slapstick were funny and was able to keep the audience, especially the children, entertained. BUT, not all is well. As the movie progresses, there are a few scenes where it can be a little dull and draggy. The sudden jokes and humor of the minions that come out of nowhere will just snap you back into the comedy film that it is. Speaking of minions, though they are cute, I felt that the movie was all about them. The minions have too much airtime that it's worrisome that the main characters might be overshadowed and left forgotten by the viewers the moment the movie ends. In relation to this, another problem that I have with the minions' humor is that they can get a little bit old and recycled as the movie goes on. They might have different scenarios and gags but some of them feel like one joke split into two and placed in both ends of the movie. I also noticed how some of the jokes also want to make the adults laugh. Not exactly innuendos but something that would make the adults laugh in a different way of understanding than that of the children's. In terms of the plot of the film, I really like looking at the bigger picture but once you start concentrating on the different parts and segments of the story can be a bit troublesome. If my memory serves me right, the movie can somehow be divided into three parts, each showing different characteristics of Gru. One is being an overly protective father, one being a hopeless romantic, and another one for being the hero. Gru being a hopeless romantic was given more importance in this film. It's basically where the entire movie revolves on as the rest follow. The characters in the movie suffered a bit from mediocre character development. Only Gru and Agent Lucy's development was highlighted. The children who used to serve a great role in the first film seemed to have been demoted to a lower position of character importance while the minions on the other hand was uplifted. On the bright side, the I like the additional characters in the film and how each and every one of them has his/her own remarkable traits that can be remembered. If there's one thing that I really loved in this movie is its animation and editing. I definitely love the new environments they designed for the film such as the mall and the huge mansion of the villain. There are so much more to see actually; from Gru's gadgets and lair to underwater hideouts and even exploding volcanoes. I loved how they paid great attention to details and managed to capture the beauty of how an animated film should look like. They were able to pull it off and show the viewers that Pixar isn't the only one capable of doing such animated movies. In conclusion, the film was great and it offered some good laughs. Though it lacks the emotional drive that the first film had, it was good enough for a sequel. If you're looking for some laughs, then this movie might be for you but if you're looking for one of those animated films that are emotionally driven yet still funny, then this might not cut your list. Rating: 3/5
So I just watched Rise of the Guardians in 3D earlier and to get straight to the point I was not super satisfied. I liked it no doubt but I guess I expected too much again. I've seen the trailer of the movie last month and I told myself I had to see it because it would be awesome. Well, there was some awe but not much.
Let me break it down to you guys why the movie didn't meet my expectations: 1. Unexplored Story line We have a protagonist who has a mysterious past and is reluctant to become a hero but turns out to be the only one who could stop the villain. Heard something like that before? Me too, lots and lots of times. Simple in other words. It didn't give me goosebumps which is what I actually look for in animated movies T_T 2. Villain not evil enough Pitch (the villain's name) is actually scary in some parts but he isn't consistent with what he is showing to the audience. Maybe it was done in purpose but it just didn't work for me. 3. Pacing is a bit complicated First the movie goes to the conflict quite fast not bothering to build tension and when it does, it (tension) fades away quickly. Not to mention, there's too much going on from one scene to another, but this is a more tolerable criticism. 4. Poor Characterization I do appreciate how they redesigned the guardians but the movie didn't seem to give it much importance and instead focused on the animation.
But the movie wasn't all bad, as a matter of fact I might even list down a lot more good comments than the bad ones. 1. Great Family Film Santa, Toothfairy, Easter Bunny, and the Sandman in one movie, how could children not want to watch it? 2. Impressive Visuals The effects and the animation were awesome and this can be seen through out the movie especially whenever the guardians make use of their powers. 3. Creative Redesigning of the Guardians Never would I have thought that Santa is so bad ass, Jack Frost is young and good looking, the Easter Bunny to be surprisingly tall, the Sandman is cute, and the Toothfairy to be super bubbly. 4. Talented Voice Actors and Actresses Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law and others (no offense to them) all did a good job giving life to their characters. 5. Heartwarming Morals Believe in yourself, that's the most important moral that I learned watching the movie. There are a lot more but I think the one I mentioned was the most important.
So would I recommend you guys watching it? Of course I do. I'm pretty sure you'll like it. AGAIN the reason why my review is inclined to the negative side is because I EXPECTED TOO MUCH from it so I got disappointed. Nevertheless, it's actually a good movie. Its funny but not too much, I actually found the trailer to be funnier. -_-
So watch it and leave your insights about the movie below in the comments :)) Rating: 3/5
