The Iron Giant (1999) - Bird's heavily themed family animation debut

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A stylish and retro-cool poster for Brad Bird's The Iron Giant

1950s Maine, the United States: Boy Hogarth is mad about sci-fi magazines during the atomic scare period, when a giant robot from space lands in the forest near his home ...

 

The Iron Giant is written by Tim McCanlies (North Shore (1987)), Brent Forrester (Love (2016-18)) and great Montanan filmmaker, debuting co-writer/director Brad Bird (Ratatouille (2007)), loosely adapted from Ted Hughes' (The Hawk in the Rain (1957)) The Iron Man (1968).

Wonderful, inspired and deeply colorful and vivid animation, which is endowed with a keen comical eye and excellent voice performances from Eli Marienthal (American Pie (1999)), Jennifer Aniston (We're the Millers (2013)), Harry Connick Jr. (New in Town (2009)), and others.

The story's political angle, - weapon are evil and the state and authorities are deceitful, ignorant and hungry for wars, - is a bit too pregnant for a family film. The Iron Giant is nevertheless still a very special and delightful picture.

 

Related posts:

Brad Bird: 2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) - Cruise and Bird's phenomenal action spectacle 
The Incredibles (2004) - Unwanted animation action slam-dunk

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 50 mil. $

Box office: 31.7 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.63 times its cost)

[The Iron Giant premiered 31 July (USA) and runs 87 minutes. Bird was inspired by the murder of his sister, shot dead by her estranged husband, because Hughes' novel was a comforting tale for his children following their mother, poet Sylvia Plath's suicide. Production took place in Los Angeles, California. The film opened #9 to a 5.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, steadily declining from there to end with a 23.1 mil. $ (72.9 % of the total gross) gross. The flop was attributed to Warner Bros. lacking marketing campaign, apparently stemming from lack of faith in the film due to their failure with the preceding year's big animation Quest for Camelot (1998). The film won a BAFTA, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. IMDb's users have rated it in at the site's Top 250 at #239, sitting between Network (1976) and The Handmaiden (2016). Bird returned with The Incredibles (2004). Marienthal returned in 3 TV credits prior to his theatrical return in American Pie 2 (2001). The Iron Giant is certified fresh at 96 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Iron Giant?

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) - Saldanha's terrific first sequel

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The titular ice age thaws on this humorous poster for Carlos Saldanha's Ice Age: The Meltdown

Our dissimilar friends from Ice Age (2002) are forced to migrate on, when the ice cap breaks up and starts to melt.

Ice Age: The Meltdown is written by Peter Gaulke (Say It Isn't So (2001)), Jim Hecht (Taina (2002, TV-series)) and Gerry Swallow (Black Knight (2001)) and directed by Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age). It is the first sequel in the Ice Age franchise (2002; 2009; 2012; 2016).

The endearing characters are on a fanciful adventure in a terrifically good-looking animation, which takes a massive technical step forward from the first one four years prior. The sound work is especially outstanding. 

The big new invention in the story, which is again interwoven with amusing vignettes of 'rat/squirrel' Scrat's misadventures with his acorn, is that Manny the mammoth meets and falls in love with a female mammoth (voiced by Queen Latifah (Chicago (2002))), who first has to realize that she is not a possum! Ice Age: The Meltdown is full of fun and may be the best in the film series.

 

Related posts:

 

Ice Age franchise: Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - Lots of fun in 4th IA chapter

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) or, Ice Age 3: Add Dinosaurs! 

Ice Age (2002) - Fun-filled animated adventure

Carlos Saldanha: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) or, Ice Age 3: Add Dinosaurs!  (co-director) 

Ice Age (2002) - Fun-filled animated adventure (co-director)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 80 mil. $

Box office: 667 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 8.33 times its cost)

[Ice Age: The Meltdown was released 29 March (Belgium, Netherlands, Jamaica, Indonesia, Philippines) and runs 91 minutes. The film opened #1 to a 68 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remained #1 for another weekend and spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#4), grossing 195.3 mil. $ (29.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 61.6 mil. $ (9.2 %) and the UK with 52.3 mil. $ (7.8 %). It was the year's 3rd highest-grossing film and the highest-grossing animation of the year. The-Numbers.com estimate that the film additionally made at least 137.8 mil. $ on the domestic home video market alone. Roger Ebert gave it a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Saldanha returned with Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), which is also the next chapter in the franchise. Ray Romano (Paddleton (2019)) returned in Grilled (2006); John Leguizamo (The Menu (2022)) in ER (2005-06) and theatrically in The Groomsmen (2006); and Denis Leary (Rescue Me (2004-11, writer)) in 4 video and TV credits prior to his theatrical return in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Ice Age: The Meltdown is rotten at 56 % with a 6.00/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ice Age: The Meltdown?

Isle of Dogs (2018) - Anderson goes to the dogs in overrated folly

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Probably the largest ever canine cast assembled on a single poster, here for Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs

The nephew of the Japanese dictatorial mayor Kobayashi loses his beloved dog Spots, when all canines are placed in exile with their dog flu virus on a garbage island, and so the boy ventures out to find him.

 

Isle of Dogs is written, co-produced and directed by Texan master filmmaker Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket (1996)), whose 9th feature it is. Roman Coppola (Asteroid City (2023)), Kunichi Nomura (Lost in Translation (2003, actor)) and Jason Schwartzman (The Darjeeling Limited (2007)) contributed story elements.

With incredible-looking animation, mostly stop-motion and doll-based, Isle of Dogs is nevertheless still even less engaging and even more vexing than Anderson's first animated venture, Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). It is weird and without sweeping characters, as they are cerebrally oriented, alienated dogs or strange humans with few expressions, respectively. 

Accompanied by a droning, "witty" score (by Alexandre Desplat (Lee (2023))), which makes Isle of Dogs even more tooth-pulling. Without laughter, and with a starry voice ensemble that don't elevate matters but only increases the bewilderment at this doggone picture.

 

Related posts: 

Wes Anderson: 2023 in films - according to Film Excess 

Asteroid City (2023) - Enjoy Anderson's crisp star parade desert adventure from the comfort of a theater seat 

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V] 

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Top 10: The best adventure films reviewed by Film Excess to date
2014 in films - according to Film Excess
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - A very very good dream 
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - A 1960s island youth romance present 

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) - Anderson's technically, visually admirable but a bit tiring animation 
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - Anderson beautifies but still wins with India-journey favorite  

 

  

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Reportedly 35 mil. $

Box office: 64.6 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.84 times its cost)

[Isle of Dogs premiered 15 February (Berlin International Film Festival) and runs 101 minutes. The film opened #15 to a 1.6 mil. $ first weekend in 27 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #7 and in 1,947 theaters (different weeks), grossing 32 mil. $ (49.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 8.3 mil. $ (12.8 %) and China with 6.8 mil. $ (10.5 %). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars, losing both: It lost Best Score to Ludwig Göransson for Black Panther and Animation to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs and 2 Golden Globes, among other honors. The film additionally grossed an estimated 4.7 mil. $ on the domestic home video market alone, according to The-Numbers.com. Anderson returned with The French Dispatch (2021). Bryan Cranston (Better Call Saul (2022, TV-series)) returned in 3 TV credits prior to his theatrical return in El Camino (2019). Isle of Dogs is certified fresh at 90 % with an 8.00/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Isle of Dogs? 

Ice Age (2002) - Fun-filled animated adventure

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Four humorous-looking animal characters are assembled on this bright poster for Chris Wedge and Carlos Sandanha's Ice Age

When the ice age arrives some 20,000 years ago, a small human baby gets left in the care of a ground sloth named Sid and a mammoth named Manfred, who later meet and team up with a sabre tiger named Diego.

 

Ice Age is written by Michael Berg (The Scratist (2012, short)), Michael J. Wilson (The Tuxedo (2002)) and Peter Ackerman (The Diplomat (2024, TV-series)), with James Bresnahan (Epic (2013)), Doug Compton (Willie Survive (1982-83, director)), Jeff Siergey (Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)), Michael Thurmeier (Robots (2005, supervising animator)), Galen T. Chu (Rio (2011, supervising animator)) and Xeth Feinberg (Queer Duck (200-02, animator)) contributing story elements, and directed by debuting Chris Wedge (Epic (2013)) and also debuting Carlos Saldanha (Rio (2011)). It is the first film in the Ice Age franchise.

The film is surprisingly funny and charming, driven by a good premise idea with some well animated and clear characters that get plenty of additional life from the voice performances of John Leguizamo (Spawn (1997)), Ray Romano (The Irishman (2019)) and others. The CG animation is a bit dated to look at today, - but not much, - and more importantly, it succeeds in capturing one's imagination. The story becomes episodic, (then this happens; then this happens; and so on), but not in any way that can impede Ice Age from being a refreshing hit.

 

Related posts:

 

Ice Age franchise: Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - Lots of fun in 4th IA chapter

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) or, Ice Age 3: Add Dinosaurs! 

Carlos Saldanha: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) or, Ice Age 3: Add Dinosaurs!  (co-director)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 59 mil. $

Box office: 383.2 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 6.49 times its cost)

[Ice Age premiered 12 March (USA) and runs 81 minutes. The film opened #1 to a 46.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top 5 another 5 weekends (#2-#2-#2-#3-#4), grossing 176.3 mil. $ (46 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 34.5 mil. $ (9 %) and the UK with 21.7 mil. $ (5.7 %). It was the 8th highest-grossing film of the year and the highest-grossing animation of the year. It was nominated for the Best Animation Oscar, lost to Spirited Away. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The characters returned in Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006). Wedge returned with Robots (2005); Saldanha with Gone Nutty (2002, video) and theatrically with Robots. Romano returned in Welcome to Mooseport (2004); Leguizamo in Sesame Street (2002, TV-series), Point of Origin (2002, TV movie) and theatrically in Spun (2002); Denis Leary (The Simpsons (2008, TV-series)) in The Job (2001-02, TV-series) and Crank Yankers (2002, TV-series) prior to his theatrical return in The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002). Ice Age is certified fresh at 77 % with a 6.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ice Age?

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) or, Ice Age 3: Add Dinosaurs!

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Our ancient friends caught in a glaring pickle on this funny poster for Michael Thurmeier and Carlos Saldanha's Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Ellie the mammoth is pregnant, as her little family discover a lost dinosaur world, where Sid the ground sloth gets lost, carrying 3 dinosaur eggs...

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is written by Peter Ackerman (The Diplomat (2024, TV-series)), Yoni Brenner (Rio 2 (2014)), Michael Berg (Ice Age (2002)) and Mike Reiss (My Life in Ruins (2009)), with Jason Carter Eaton (Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011, TV movie)) contributing story elements, and directed by Michael Thurmeier (The Scratist (2012, short)) and Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age (2002)). It is the 3rd film in the Ice Age franchise (2002; 2006).

A dragging story that is also very tied up to Simon Pegg's (Luck (2022)) new pirate, dino-hunting weasel character who goes bonkers and is a weirdly unfunny companion.

Wow-ing animation and fun moments and sequences, often being those with Scrat, the non-speaking squirrel character, and one female flying squirrel distraction, elevate an otherwise disappointing film.

 

Related posts:

 

Ice Age franchise: Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - Lots of fun in 4th IA chapter

Michael Thurmeier: Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - Lots of fun in 4th IA chapter

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 90 mil. $

Box office: 886.6 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 9.85 times its cost)

[Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was released 26 June (Uruguay) and runs 94 minutes. It opened #2, behind holdover hit Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, to a 41.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#2-#5), grossing 196.5 mil. $ (22.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 82.1 mil. $ (9.3 %) and France with 69.2 mil. $ (7.8 %). It was the year's highest-grossing animation and the 3rd highest-grossing film of the year over-all. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. The franchise returned with Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012). Thurmeier returned with 3 shorts prior to Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012); Saldanha with Rio (2011). Ray Romano (Paddleton (2019)) returned in Funny People (2009); John Leguizamo (Spawn (1997)) in Gamer (2009). Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is rotten at 46 % with a 5.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs?

Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - Lots of fun in 4th IA chapter

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An action-packed adventure at sea is promised on this splashy poster for Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier's Ice Age: Continental Drift

A rift is taking place in our mammoth family, where Peaches has become a teenager. Now the continental plates start moving and breaking up, literally breaking up our friends. The larger group of them gets into trouble with an evil pirate ape on an iceberg ship.

 

Ice Age: Continental Drift is written by Michael Berg (Ice Age (2002)) and Jason Fuchs (Argylle (2024)) and directed by great Ohioan filmmaker Steve Martino (Horton Hears a Who! (2008)) and Michael Thurmeier (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)). It is the 4th film in the Ice Age franchise (2002; 06; 09).

The plot is simple and manageable, but the film scores on lots of funny gags and jokes: Ray Romano (Made for Love (2021-22)), franchise newcomer Wanda Sykes (Chivalry (2022, TV-series)) and others shine in the impressive voice cast, - and the filmmakers strike a good balance between the story line and episodes featuring the series' popular squirrel Scrat, whose obsessive hunt for an acorn of course is what causes the continental plate movements! This is fun and feels like a throwback to the classic Looney Tunes (1930-69) short animations. 

The animation is fantastic to boot here, colorful and vivid to the eyes. Ice Age: Continental Drift is a fun-filled family treat.

 

Related post:

 

Steve Martino: Horton Hears a Who! (2008) - Belly-laughs and fantastic imagination in great family animation (co-director)

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 95 mil. $

Box office: 877.2 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 9.23 times its cost)

[Ice Age: Continental Drift premiered 26 June (Buenos Aires) and runs 88 minutes. Production took place in Connecticut. The film opened #1 to a 46.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#2-#4), grossing 161.3 mil. $ (18.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 67.8 mil. $ (7.7 %) and Germany with 67 mil. $ (7.6 %). It was the year's highest-grossing animation and the 5th highest-grossing film of the year over-all. Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. The franchise returned with Ice Age: Collision Course (2016). Martino returned with The Peanuts Movie (2015); Thurmeier with Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe (2015, short), Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016, TV movie) and theatrically with Ice Age: Collision Course (2016). Romano returned in Ted (2012). Ice Age: Continental Drift is rotten at 37 % with a 5.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ice Age: Continental Drift?

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) - Dragons make sequel soar

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Lots of warm-faced characters and dragons peak out from this poster for Dean DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon 2

A new wealth of dragons are discovered by Hiccup and his dragon Toothless, and they therefore must make sure that these creatures are not used for evil means.

 

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is written and directed by Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch (2002)). It is the sequel to DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon (2014) and the second in the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy (2010; 2014; 2019), based on the 2003-15 How to Train Your Dragon novels by Cressida Cowell (Can Trees Talk? (2021)).

The narrative and themes are poorly lifted, and the weak-kneed, unwinning, Jay Baruchel-voiced (The Moodys (2019-21)) protagonist is one contributing reason. The animation is at times less than Disney standard, but the dragon designs and the giant monster thrill considerably. The creatures are the best part of this movie.

 

Related posts:

Dean DeBlois: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) - Dazzling animation, tired sheet 

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) - A well-made, dazzlingly animated family favorite

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 145 mil. $

Box office: 621.5 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.28 times its cost)

[How to Train Your Dragon 2 premiered 16 May (Cannes Film Festival, out of competition) and runs 102 minutes. DeBlois and a creative team went to Norway for inspiration for the film. The film opened #2, behind 22 Jump Street, to a 49.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 4 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#3-#5-#5), grossing 177 mil. $ (28.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 65.1 mil. $ (10.5 %) and the UK with 41.5 mil. $ (6.7 %). It was the year's 12th highest-grossing and the 2nd highest-grossing animated film of the year, behind Big Hero 6. The film was nominated for the Best Animation Oscar, lost to Big Hero 6. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs and won a Golden Globe and a National Board of Review award, among other honors. The film additionally made an estimated 74.9 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. DeBlois returned with the last in the trilogy, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). Baruchel returned in Lovesick (2016). How to Train Your Dragon 2 is certified fresh at 92 % with a 7.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of How to Train Your Dragon 2?

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) - Dazzling animation, tired sheet

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Splashy fresh colors and inviting animation lures from this poster for Dean DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Hiccup is under pressure in his viking world, which is getting overcrowded with rescued dragons.

 

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is written and directed by Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch (2002)). It is the 3rd and final film in DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon trilogy (2010; 2014) based on the How to Train Your Dragon novels (2003-15) by Cressida Cowell (The Day of the Dreader (2012)).

A flat and formulaic plot together with Jay Baruchel's (Random Acts of Violence (2019)) unfunny, irony-laced voice performance sucks the magic out of this film, despite it having dragons by the dozens, many of them very cute ones. A feeling of awe for the incredible designs and animation is the sole attraction here.

 

Related posts:

Dean DeBlois: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) - A well-made, dazzlingly animated family favorite

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 129 mil. $

Box office: 524.5 mil. $

=  Big hit (returned 4.06 times its cost)

[How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was released 3 January (Australia, New Zealand) and runs 104 minutes. It opened #1 to a 55 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend at #1 and then 3 more in the top 5 (#2-#4-#5), grossing 160.7 mil. $ (30.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 54.5 mil. $ (10.4 %) and Russia with 27.9 mil. $ (5.3 %). It was the 5th highest-grossing animated film of the year. It was nominated for the Best Animation Oscar, lost to Toy Story 4. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe and won a National Board of Review award, among many other honors. How to Train Your Dragon returns as a live-action film also by DeBlois in 2025. DeBlois returned with TÍU (2022, documentary) but has yet to make his theatrical return. Baruchel returned in The Kindness of Strangers (2019). How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is certified fresh at 90 % with a 7.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World?

The Boy and the Heron/君たちはどう生きるか (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) (2023) - Magic dissipates in Miyazaki's universe

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A strange, animated image of a boy who may be flying makes up this poster for Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron

 

Mahito is a big boy when, during WWII, a major hospital blaze takes his mother from him. A new life in the countryside with his father and new stepmother follows, where Mahito goes exploring in a mysterious tower and befriends a bizarre heron.

 

The Boy and the Heron is written and directed by Japanese master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Mirai shônen Konan (1979)), whose 14th feature it is. The original Japanese title translates to, 'how do you live?'.

The film is a departure from the whimsical, fantastical, gripping animation classics of Miyazaki's past, and the master's old age seems apparent in it and regrettably not as a good thing. Miyazaki is one of the greats whose films plummet in quality in his last years as a filmmaker. Despite the overwhelming praise for the film, - seemingly an automatic reaction to anything released by Miyazaki, - The Boy and the Heron is an unsatisfying film. It revels in its maker's childhood memories and idiosyncrasies in a free-form adventure that is too preoccupied to make the narrative sensible and meaningful for the viewer.

War, death, self-harm, hatred and universal destruction are some of the gloomy themes that this almost fun-free and often quiet film mulls over. The boy is hard to understand; the story, - which sees him searching for a lost stepmother in the tower with the big-nosed, heron-caped male companion, seemingly fall in love with a girl, and meet a kind of god figure, - is obscure and generally uninvolving.

The sound design is terrific, and the animation is striking but lacking in warmth, depth, sweetness and personality, - qualities that make Miyazaki's best films transcendent. The Boy and the Heron mostly leaves you cold and puzzled.

 

Related posts:

Hayao Miyazaki: The Wind Rises/風立ちぬ [Kaze Tachinu] (2013) - Miyazaki's beautiful but languid last film 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

Ponyo/崖の上のポニョ (Gake no Ue no Ponyo) (2008) - Magical animation masterpiece from master Miyazaki

Top 10: Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Howl's Moving Castle/ハウルの動く城 [Hauru no Ugoku Shiro] (2004) - Miyazaki's hugely successful, gibberish fantasy
Spirited Away/千と千尋の神隠し [Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi] (2001) - Miyazaki's highly Japanese, enormously weird story of a girl 

Princess Mononoke/もののけ姫 (Mononoke-hime) (1997) - Miyazaki's grand, magical adventure masterpiece

1992 in films - according to Film Excess 

Porco Rosso/紅の豚 (Kurenai no Buta) (1992) - Childlike qualities help propel strange Miyazaki adventure 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 167.2 mil. $ and counting

= Uncertain

[The Boy and the Heron was released 14 July (Japan) and runs 124 minutes. Miyazaki began working on it after he had announced his retirement in 2013. The production dragged out for years due to his slow working pace, making producer Toshio Suzuki claim that it is the most expensive film ever produced in Japan, - but failing to back the boast up with a specific cost figure. It was released without any marketing campaign in Japan besides a single poster. The film opened #1 to a 13 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#3) and grossed 45.8 mil. $ (27.4 % of the total gross). North America was the film's 2nd biggest market. Its biggest was Japan with 56.1 mil. $ (33.6 %), where more than 5.5 mil. paid admission, and South Korea was 3rd biggest with 14.9 mil. $ (8.9 %). It is nominated for the Best Animation Oscar. It has won a BAFTA, 1/2 Golden Globe nominations and a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Despite this being lauded as his career's last film, Miyazaki is reportedly working on another, yet to be announced film. The Boy and the Heron is certified fresh at 97 % with an 8.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Boy and the Heron?

Ponyo/崖の上のポニョ (Gake no Ue no Ponyo) (2008) - Magical animation masterpiece from master Miyazaki

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+ 3rd Best Movie of the Year

+ Best Adventure Movie of the Year + Best Family Movie of the Year + Best Huge Hit Movie of the Year + Best Japanese Movie of the Year 

 

 

Disney's poster for the Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo does its best to recall the public's attraction to one of the biggest animation hits in the preceding years, Pixar's Finding Nemo (2003)

Goldfish Ponyo gradually becomes a girl with magical powers, when it tastes the blood of the boy Sosuke, The two become good friends, while a storm surge ravages the boy's native area.

 

Ponyo is written and directed by Japanese master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro/Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro (1979)), whose 11th feature it is.

It is another wonderful, - and often truly strange! - film from Miyazaki. That Liam Neeson (Schindler's List (1993)) voices the womanly character from the sea in the English language version is just one of these peculiarities, and the classic H.C. Anderson mermaid fairytale also gets a dramatic altering here. 

The animation sucks your eyeballs to every single one of the amazing (entirely hand drawn) images, and especially the animation of the treacherous, dangerous ocean is stunning.

Ponyo is also a jolly and quite funny film, and a wise film that is enormously rewarding for all ages, - pure cinema magic. It is one of those rare works of mankind that is so good it could be worth presenting for other life forms (simians, aliens etc.)

 

Related posts:

Hayao Miyazaki: The Wind Rises/風立ちぬ [Kaze Tachinu] (2013) - Miyazaki's beautiful but languid last film 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

Top 10: Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Howl's Moving Castle/ハウルの動く城 [Hauru no Ugoku Shiro] (2004) - Miyazaki's hugely successful, gibberish fantasy
Spirited Away/千と千尋の神隠し [Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi] (2001) - Miyazaki's highly Japanese, enormously weird story of a girl 

Princess Mononoke/もののけ姫 (Mononoke-hime) (1997) - Miyazaki's grand, magical adventure masterpiece

1992 in films - according to Film Excess 

Porco Rosso/紅の豚 (Kurenai no Buta) (1992) - Childlike qualities help propel strange Miyazaki adventure 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 34 mil. $

Box office: 204.9 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 6.02 times its cost)

[Ponyo was released 19 July (Japan) and runs 101 minutes. 12 companies cooperated in the financing and production of the film. Production began in May 2006 in Japan, with Miyazaki's animation concept for the film building on traditional hand-drawn techniques rather than incorporating CGI as he had done in earlier films. The film opened #9 to a 3.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it fell on the chart from then on, grossing 15 mil. $ (7.3 % of the total gross). It was the film's 2nd biggest market. Japan was its biggest with 164.5 mil. $ (80.3 %), and South Korea was the 3rd biggest with 6.9 mil. $ (3.4 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Miyazaki returned with Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess/Pan-dane to Tamago-hime (2010, short) and theatrically with The Wind Rises/Kaze tachinu (2013). Ponyo is certified fresh at 91 % with a 7.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

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