Film Review - "Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers"

Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers

Directed by Akiva Schaffer

Starring John Mulaney, Andy Samberg, and Will Arnett

I think most of the people reading this know I'm a big Disney fan. I grew up on it, and many of my younger days in the early nineties were spent watching the many animated series that were part of the Disney Afternoon lineup (and the Disney Channel. When it was good). My favorites I think were the same as many people's...DuckTales, Darkwing Duck, and Chip n'Dale: Rescue Rangers (If I had to pick a fourth it's a coin toss between Timon & Pumbaa or The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh).

Chip n'Dale, like DuckTales, not only had an ear-worm of a theme song, but its leads were characters of Disney legend. I loved Chip n' Dale growing up, not just in Rescue Rangers, but in the classic shorts where they made Donald Duck's life a living nightmare. So like any millennial with an attachment to a classic old property, I got a bit defensive when the Hollywood Machine wanted to reboot/reimagine/revive whatever you wanna call it, Rescue Rangers. It's just the way of the world now. Originality in Hollywood is dead, "childhood ruined" and so on...

Now here we are, and I am so proud to say I was wrong. The Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers film is one of the biggest surprises and most fun film (Non-MCU) I've seen in awhile. 

The film is not exactly a direct continuation of the original series. Much like the world of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Chip, Dale (Mulaney, Samberg) and all toons coexist with humans, and some are actors. In the nineties, Chip and Dale made a big name for themselves with aforementioned tv series, until Dale decided to leave the show to expand his career. Unfortunately, this got the series cancelled, and both chipmunks' careers took a hit. It's all very meta, and also I'm guessing in the reality of this film all the older Chip n' Dale shorts produced by Disney just didn't happen.

Cut to the present day, and Dale has had CGI-surgery (Love that bit) and living off the convention circuit, and Chip is working as an insurance salesman. A desperate call from their old friend and co-star Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) reunites the estranged friends. Turns out Monty has run afoul of a very dangerous gang that has been rumored to be kidnapping old toons, making them over, and forcing them to make bootlegs of classic animated films. Chip n' Dale reluctantly reunite to rescue Monty and crack the case, living out the glory days of The Rescue Rangers.

I'm sure the plot where estranged friends reunite on a case/quest/adventure sounds familiar. It's a plot that I think is almost tailor-made for a continuation of Rescue Rangers, decades after the original series ended. Regardless, I appreciate the film's approach to not making it a direct continuation of the series, but instead taking the Roger Rabbit angle. Really the only connections it has to the original series is its name, and the premise of "Chip and Dale solve a mystery".

The film is much more a commentary on animation, celebrity and Hollywood. The creative team definitely had a lot of fun making this. The attention to detail...you will need a second viewing just to catch all the Easter Eggs, visual gags, and cameos. So many wonderful cameos. It's unfortunate the internet was so quick to spoil the best one. The film is also incredibly funny. Not just in its sight gags there's a lot of clever, laugh-out-loud lines. You can tell this was a film made by fans, for fans. It's hard to not appreciate the sincere effort that's right on the screen.

We need to talk about the animation for a minute because it's all over the place stylistically and it's lovely. There's not just top-notch traditional animation and CGI. There's clay-mation (JK Simmons's Gumby-like detective, Officer Putty, looks amazing). There's horrific motion-capture/hyper-realistic animation in the manner of Cats and Beowulf. There's even puppets of both the Muppet and sock variety. There's so much being homaged here from every era of animation. This film deserves a Special Achievement Oscar. I will say the hand-drawn animation on some characters was a bit iffy for me at times, specifically Chip and Sweet Pete. I chop it up to 2D designs being brought into a 3D world so there's a bit of "transition period", and I could say the opposite for CGI Dale (But man that surgery bit is too good).

On paper, you wouldn't expect the voices of John Mulaney and Andy Samberg to work for classic characters like Chip n' Dale, but they really do here. They still capture the spirit and dynamic of the duo, with a modern twist, and their high-pitched voices are their "stage voices" here (Think Baby Herman). It's another fun bit. JK Simmons is amazing as Officer Putty. Will Arnett perfectly captures the spirit of Sweet Pete, who if you couldn't tell by the marketing is a bitter, aged-up Peter Pan. Kiki Layne is fine as Detective Ellie Stickler. She doesn't really add much to the film, and is sort of like the stand-in for the audience.

As much as I enjoyed this film...there are two things that just don't sit well with me. If you want to avoid any hint of spoilers I suggest you skip this next paragraph...

First, Sweet Pete's backstory is nearly identical to the real life story of child-star and original voice of Peter Pan, Bobby Driscoll. I say do your own research but, it's not exactly the nicest chapter in Disney history. This was either a very unfortunate coincidence or a very dark bit of parody. I'm not sure will ever know which. Second, while this is Chip n' Dale's films, it is sort of sad that the original supporting cast of the show is put on the back burner, and what they did story-wise with two of them...I'm not sure I'll ever recover from the trauma. If you know, you know...

Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers is not only a spiritual successor to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it's Disney answer to the 21 Jump Street films. It's a very clever, fun, and heartwarming watch. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the year. It's an easy film to recommend, and I hope Disney, animation, and comedy fans alike give it the attention it deserves. Head on over to Disney Plus and add it to your watchlist (I wonder if they're kicking themselves for not putting it in theaters...)

...Now can we get a Darkwing Duck film please??

 

Film Review - "Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness"

Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness

Directed by Sam Raimi

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Xochitl Gomez, and Elizabeth Olsen

It's been six years since Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange made his MCU debut in the film of the same name. He's become a constant ever since, from being a key player in the last two Avengers films, to having supporting roles in Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Needless to say, the character has been through a lot, and there's no way in The Multiverse of Madness he's going to catch a break anytime soon.

As Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) attends the wedding of his former flame Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), a young girl named America Chavez (Gomez) falls into New York City, being chased by a demon part-cyclops and part-octopus. After being rescued by Strange, and his mentor/friend/Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong), Chavez explains she is being hunted for her power to travel the multiverse. Strange's decision to help Chavez leads him to seek help from Wanda Maximoff aka The Scarlet Witch (Olsen). This brings Strange down a path to learn much more about the multiverse and himself.

The film is a wild ride, and one of the most unique chapters of the MCU. That is no small credit to Director Sam Raimi, whose history with horror films is clearly on display here. This is almost the first MCU horror film, complete with jump scares and ghoulish sights. The film also has a bit of gore, and quite an impressive body count...If you're not big on horror this might not be your cup of tea, and parents might want to have younger MCU fans hold off or skip this one. 

While the film has the thrills and chills turned up to eleven, it's also very restrained in its multiverse madness. Don't expect hundreds of cameos peppered throughout the film, although there are plenty of surprises. The story is much more concerned with servicing its two primary characters, Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff, which is a good thing because that's what the film needs to do.

Everything each character has been through has led to this, especially Wanda, who practically steals the whole film. She outshines our lead hero for a fair amount of time, but that isn't to say Doctor Strange gets the short end of the stick. He gets some much-needed character work in this film beyond being the guy who knows everything (or at least thinks he does), and it builds off not just what he went through in the first Doctor Strange film, but in Infinity War and Endgame as well. He becomes a much more sympathetic and vulnerable character.

Despite all the good work the film does for The Scarlet Witch and would-be Sorcerer Supreme, the screenplay does lack a little focus, and pacing does become an issue. The film comes out guns blazing, then hits some speed bumps as it transitions from act-to-act. Though like I said, the film is a wild ride, and incredibly entertaining. There are some really distinct visuals in and out of the multiverse, and the creative styling of the magic users' powers are a sight to see. A highlight is a battle that uses notes off of sheet music. Speaking of music, props to Danny Elfman as this is probably one of his more unique scores for a film, meaning I didn't even recognize his typical style throughout the film (maybe he saves that for Tim Burton...)

Benedict Cumberbatch remains a perfect Doctor Strange, again getting to go more in-depth and personal with the character. Elizabeth Olsen, as always, is amazing as Wanda. Her performance is both a treat and terrifying, and just in case you're worried your lack of a Disney Plus subscription will leave you in the dark, this film gives you enough of a clue to what happened in WandaVision (but you should still watch it because it's great). Xochitl Gomez makes her MCU debut as America Chavez and holds her own well against the likes of Cumberbatch and Olsen, but isn't given that much to do. Hopefully we'll see her again soon. Rachel McAdams is given significantly more to do this time as Christine Palmer. She gets to play to her strengths of portraying a character that's equally sweet and snarky, and her chemistry with Cumberbatch is put to much better use. Benedict Wong as...Wong, once again proves he's one of the best supporting players in the MCU, perfectly weaving between the role of stoic moral compass and dry-witted comic relief. 

Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness has its shortcomings, but is still one of the most unique MCU films to date. It's highly entertaining, though viewers with a low threshold for horror films should err on the side of caution. It's full of unique visuals, wonderful performances, and plenty of crowd-pleasing moments. I definitely can't wait to see it again, and see where the MCU takes us next in this vast multiverse.

Film Review - "Turning Red"

Turning Red

Directed by Domee Shi

Starring Rosalie Chiang and Sandra Oh

There seems to be a Civil War of sorts going on in Hollywood right now, and it's between Disney and Pixar. Over the past year or so, many Pixar employees have go on record over how the studio's recent films have been treated by The Mouse. 

Their last three films have had their theatrical releases cancelled, only to be unceremoniously uploaded to Disney Plus, without the $30 Premier Access paywall Disney laid in front of the likes of Black Widow, Raya & The Last Dragon, and the live-action remake of Mulan. Even Encanto, the company's last in-house animated feature was granted a theatrical release before moving to the streaming service. There are also recent reports of Disney censoring important moments of representation in Pixar films, which is awful.

It doesn't sit right when you remember before Marvel Studios, LucasFilm, and even The Muppets, Pixar was the only thing keeping Disney afloat at the start of the millennium. While their own animation studio was starting to flounder, Pixar really started hitting their stride. Disney was giving us Brother Bear and Home on The Range, while Pixar gave us Finding Nemo and The Incredibles.

(By the way I'm not saying any of the Disney films from this era are bad, all entertainment is subjective, but in the grand library of animated classics these ones pale in comparison to say Beauty & The Beast or The Lion King.) 

Sure Pixar has had some missteps in the past with Cars sequels or mediocre dinosaurs but for most of the time they've been the gold standard for animated films, sometimes overshadowing the animated films of their parent company. Since 2001, when the category for Best Animated Feature was first instated at the Oscars, Pixar has literally taken home fifty percent of the trophies (The Academy might not give a damn about this category or respect animated films these days but that's another story...)

Anyway it just seems like Disney's "first born property" has become lost in the shuffle, and is now treated like a cliché red-headed (See what I did there?) stepchild. Which again, is a real shame because this decade has started out very strong for Pixar, with Onward, Soul, Luca, and now Turning Red (Yes I know. 'Finally he's going to get to the review...')

Turning Red follows Meilin "Mei" Lee (Chiang), a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student growing up in 2002 Toronto. Mei works hard at school and home to make her mother Ming (Oh) proud, but also loves chilling out with her friends and obsessing over their favorite boy-band 4*Town.

One evening an ancient family curse befalls Mei, causing her tontransform into a giant red panda whenever her emotions run high (Like the Hulk but fuzzier). Naturally Mei is a bit shocked by these changes, and her overbearing mother dives headfirst into helping her through this process. Unfortunately, Ming forbids Mei from doing much of anything until the panda is under control, and that includes going to the upcoming 4*Town concert (I suppose a boy-band concert would invoke strong emotions in a young girl...) What follows is Mei's struggle to balance her own wants while still trying to please her mother, and keep her inner panda under control.

The best way I can describe Turning Red is if Pixar did a Disney Channel Original Movie, and I think if you were a big fan of DCOMs you'll really like this film. But it's also much more than that. It's a charming coming-of-age story that will resonate with anyone that's ever been a teenage girl, or just anyone who's tried to honor their parents and true selves simulatenously. For me it was much more the latter.

Mei's arc throughout the film is a very personal journey, and this a very unique Pixar film in so many ways. The film does a great job at characterizing young girls at the age (dorky, rebellious, awkward, obsessed with crushes, all that stuff). It also perfectly illustrates the relationship of a mother and daughter at this stage in life. I was sort of reminded of A Goofy Movie, as in both parent and child are being embarrassing to the other, but neither are necessarily in the wrong.

I think Pixar does a great job of finding great voice actors to play their child protagonists, and Rosalie Chang continues that trend. She just puts so much passion and humor into it. It's another iconic Pixar performance. All the young actresses playing her friends do great as well, and the dynamic of the group is spot-on. You can tell Sandra Oh was having a lot of fun playing her mother Ming. She embodies the archetype of an over-bearing mother, but also makes her very sympathetic and comical. Again, another high-energy performance in a film with a lot of energy. 

The animation is also great, and super expressive, sort of like if Pixar did an anime. It's also one of their funniest films. They really lean into the comedy. The animation definitely helps with the comedy too. I think the songs for  4*Town written by Billie Eilish were perfect, like they were ripped right out of the boy-band era of the early 2000's. I'd be lying if I said one or two of them haven't gotten stuck in my head...

I didn't find the film to be perfect though. It's a bit of a struggle to get invested in the first third of the film, as it is mostly just awkward teen humor, and establishing the fact Mei is embarrassed by her mother. Personally, it could be the fact I first watched the film with my mother and I was getting second-hand embarrassment, or that coming-of-age teen films have never been my favorite, but once we got to the "turning red" of it all, I was on board. Although in many ways you can predict where the film is going with the plot, that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. It's the journey, not the destination. This final point is not so much a criticism as much as an observation, and a bit of a spoiler but...the final act borrows from the superhero film playbook...make of that what you will.

Overall, I enjoyed Turning Red. It's one of Pixar's most unique, and personal films. I think it will become a lot of people's favorites, and I think anyone can connect with it on some level. Even the boys! (That's a joke. If you know, if you know.) Again, Pixar's on a serious hot streak these last two years, and I hope the public recognizes that, and I certainly hope Disney does too. The creators of Toy Story, Monsters Inc, and countless other classics deserve better. Fingers crossed they don't pull the rug out from Lightyear and make it another Disney Plus Original...