Andrew Chesworth’s animated adventure is a neat and adorable tribute to the likes of Disney and classic Merrie Melodies tunes. It’s that classic tale about friendship, and commitment and loyalty above all else. While I was originally assuming this would be about a lot more, “The Brave Locomotive” keeps its intentions firmly planted in the more innocent side with a story about wicked companies and sticking to what works.
Tag Archives: Musical
Moana (2016)
I dare say that not only is “Moana” a better film than “Frozen” but the music is better. I know that’ll leave many aghast since “Let It Go” is a massive earworm (I personally prefer “Love is an Open Door”), but I think “Moana” is so much more well rounded and catchy. Everything from “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome” don’t just contribute to Disney’s legacy of catchy traditional music, but they also do their job of establishing characters so much better. I loved “Frozen,” but I think “Moana” has a more cohesive pacing and interesting narrative.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022)
What “Bob’s Burgers” has always excelled at is making us laugh while also making us well up with emotions. Loren Bouchard has a real challenge ahead of him developing his short form comedy series in to a feature film, and despite some tumbles narratively, it’s a success. The series has a knack for making me laugh and cry and Bouchard delivers on both fronts. Only this series can feature a hilarious gag of Linda trying to sell burgers in a bikini in one beat, and then revealing the origin of Louise’s rabbit ears in the next beat. Suffice to say I never expected the writers would ever give us a reason as to why Louise is so devoted to her rabbit ears, but the explanation left me on the verge of tears.
Soul (2020)
In Limited Re-Release on January 12th, preceded by the Sparkshort “Burrow.” Check Local Listings.
Also Streaming on Disney Plus, and Available in Stores.
While watching “Soul,” two things came to mind. It’s amazing how much the movie reminded me of Chuck Jones’ “The High Note,” and Norton Juster’s “The Dot and the Line.” Both films perfectly articulate the power of music, and sound and the joy and pain that can come with it. Down to its basest, “Soul” is very much a movie about the power of music and the passion that can arise from it that transcends life and death. It’s probably one of the most unusual animated films from “Soul” in that animation style is so different from anything we’ve seen before or will see after.
Living Hardcore: “School of Rock” at 20
One of the reasons I’ve been such a rabid fan of Richard Linklater over the years is that he’s able to jump back and forth between excellent indie films, to accessible mainstream films. It’s amazing that the same man that gave us the cerebral existential masterpiece “Waking Life” is the same guy that gave us the rock and roll classic “School of Rock.” Linklater’s family comedy is not just a musical gem, but also one that manages to appeal to the genius of classic rock.
Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper’s film about the life of Leonard Bernstein is why I’m firm in my opinion that pretty much most music biopics are just terrible. Bernstein is an interesting figure that we learn almost nothing about by the time the movie ends. We explore his torrid private life, sure, but Cooper opts to kind of step back from the artist that was Bernstein in favor of the person. That’s understandable considering “Maestro” is a pitch for an Oscar from the starting gate.
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Rabbit Rhapsody (1946)
2023 marks the 85th Anniversary of Bug Bunny’s first animated appearance in 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt.” Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we’re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We’re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too.
Follow us on this massive journey where we discover and re-discover Every Bugs Bunny Ever.
Rhapsody Rabbit (1946)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Tedd Pierce
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Manuel Perez
One of the many reasons why I was a small kid that loved classical music was that I pretty much cut my teeth on the Looney Tunes shorts. I spent so much of my time watching the animated shorts that were not only comical and fun, but also embraced the idea of classical music. “Rhapsody Rabbit” further serves to convey the beautiful marriage between classical music and the Looney Tunes shorts. The animation studio has always used music as a wonderful means of filling in what the writers or animators couldn’t. Classical music, folk music, and pop music were used to convey all kinds of emotions and conflict, and with “Rhapsody Rabbit,” it’s merely an amazing example of how the music compliments the animation and vice versa.