Monsters under the bed, monsters under the closet. Are there anymore universal themes in our childhood that we can relate to? Arguably Pixar’s most imaginative film, Pixar is known for creating simplistic stories revolving around childhood themes and “Monsters Inc.” is a success for tapping in to that classic fear of children fearing the monster in hiding in the shadows ready to scare them at a moment’s notice. But what about the monster? What is its purpose? Why does it need to scare us?
Tag Archives: Family
Pokemon The Movie: 2000 (2000)
I’m not a huge fan of Pokemon, but I am a casual watcher of the television program. This is alot better than the first one, and succeeds where the first one fails. This one makes me happy. The animation as always is spectacular and sleek, with mixing, computer animation, painting animation, and regular animation. We get to see this demonstrated in the pre-movie cartoon, “Pikachu’s Rescue”. In the scene where the clouds begin to form, we see the trees which are painted, brushing with the wind.
Osmosis Jones (2001)
In the movie, Frank (Bill Murray Stripes, Caddyshack) is a mega-slob who really doesn’t care how he lives, but there lies a world in that greasy oily body of his. When he eats a hard-boiled egg that dropped on the floor, he accidentally eats a lethal Tony Montana-esque germ by the name of Thrax (Laurence Fishburne The Matrix). Now, a white blood cell named Osmosis Jones (Chris Rock SNL, Head of State) and a cold pill named Drix (David-Hyde Pierce Frasier) must stop the germ from killing Frank. But can they catch him in time?
Shrek (2001)
In the movie, Mike Meyers plays Shrek, a huge green ogre who keeps to himself and lives alone in his swamp home constantly trying to be killed by angry villagers with pickforks, whom he often easily exterminates of. When the evil lord Farquaard played by John Lithgow (Third Rock from the Sun) forces fairy tale creatures off the royal lands, they take shelter in, of all places, Shrek’s swamp. Shrek, so urgent to get the creatures off his home, meets a talking donkey named… Donkey played by Eddie Murphy, and they must go to the palace to make a deal with the lord. But the lord makes a deal with Shrek, instead. He must rescue a beautiful princess named Fiona played by Cameron Diaz. Now shrek and Donkey must risk their necks, all for the sake of getting his home back once and for all.
Cats & Dogs (2001)
“Cats & Dogs” centers on the high-tech, top secret war being waged in neighborhoods everywhere that humans aren’t even aware of: an eternal struggle between the two great armies of Cats and Dogs. The story follows Cat Mr. Tinkles’ plan to destroy a new vaccine that, if developed, would destroy all human allergies to Dogs, and the Dogs’ efforts to stop the Cats from executing their plan with the help of their new recruit, the heroic Beagle, Lou.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Based on the smash sleeper hit children’s series written by J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is about a baby who is dropped off at the footstep of his only living relatives (or “Muggles” as they are called by magical people) house by two strangers. He is now ten and is an outcast by his uncle and aunt who spoil their fat son. Soon, strange things begin to happen and Potter begins to wonder why. Soon enough, he is confronted by a huge man who claims Potter is a master magician who must attend the “Hogwarts school of magic and wizardry”. There, he meets Ronald Weasly and Hermoine Granger; two precocious and rambunctious wizard’s in training who instantly become Potter’s friends.
The Road to El Dorado (2000)
It’s a shame that a film with such talent and imagery behind it ended up being ultimately a waste of time and effort. For a film marketed to children, I was shocked how utterly suggestive it tended to be, but beyond that, there’s really nothing worth remembering. With forgettable characters, and performances, it’s a waste. For a movie marketed to kids and advertised practically non-stop it’s a shame it can’t be considered even interesting children’s entertainment. Not to mention the lackluster and incredibly dull musical score.