Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

                Let me say right now that I love the movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” It’s one of those films that I can watch over and over again, and still laugh just as much as I did the first time, if not more. In the news world during the 70’s, San Diego’s Ron Burgundy is top of the class, along with his team: Brian Fantana, Champ Kind, and Brick Tamland. However, when a new anchor, Veronica Corningstone, comes into the station, Ron starts to have the hots for her, but then it becomes more about competing with her the more she becomes big in the business. This film managed to be the true kickstart careers for many of these actors. While they did manage to have big success before hand, it was this film that put it to the silver screen at its finest. Will Ferrell made the big jump from SNL to movie star status, much more than any of his previous films have in the past, and this film managed to be his signature charmer. Other actors in the film also got their big recognition because of this film, and even Christina Applegate as Veronica showed improvement as an actress, showing she can actually play an intelligent woman after working on “Married with Children.”

                When the thought of a sequel started to rumor around, it wasn’t until 2011 when Ferrell as Ron appeared on Conan O’Brian that it was officially announced. Since then we’ve seen teasers, the actors appearing on actual news in character, and the release date being at the end of this year. And let me say…it was DEFINITELY worth the wait!

                In “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” Ron and his team set out for New York City, in an attempt for Ron to beat Veronica in the ratings, only this time it’s different stations against each other. However, Ron starts off from the bottom, and it’s only through making rebellious changes that lead him to success but also much more. Throughout this film, it does what the first film did by adding in many, many moments that are incredibly funny, and there’s never a dull moment that I can remember. This is another film that really had nothing about it that was bad, as everything was done exactly right.

                Will Ferrell really brings his a-game once again, adding more to Ron’s egotistic personality, delivering lines that are just as quotable as they were before. His chemistry with Applegate is just as excellent as before, and it makes it all the more funny with their new son, Walter. While this kid has some awkward acting moments, it fits the tone of the film just right, so I give him props. A subplot in the film that’s really funny is with Brick, played by Steve Carrell, and him finding love with GNN worker Chauncey, played by Kristen Wiig. Just the way that these two worked off each other is absolute gold, and every time they were on-screen together, I could hardly keep myself from laughing at every word. I have to say, Kristen Wiig has been really impressing my lately, being in films that I’ve liked her greatly in. Maybe leaving SNL was a good decision for her after all. James Marsden was another one who did fantastic in the film, playing the big shot from Chicago, Jack Lime. It’s kind of expected of him, since he looks like he could be a news caster, and his charismatic attitude makes it all the more funny when it gets to the ending.

                When it gets to the third-quarter of the film, it takes a really weird turn into another turning point. I didn’t really know how to get it, but after seeing the film a second time, it actually felt natural to the film. And let me just say, they do the fight scene from the first film…only difference, is it’s ten times funnier. They throw everything at you, in directions you couldn’t possibly guess; and the cameos they give us are absolutely insane. I don't want to spoil whose in it (like it's going to stop you looking them up on wikipedia), but trust me when I say they deliver solidly.

                Overall, “Anchorman 2” is one of the best comedies I’ve seen in a while, as well as one of my favorite films of the year. Tune in next time, and you’ll see where it ranks my best of the year list.

Rating: 10/10

Frozen

One way or another, all of us grew up with Disney. Whether it was one of their live-action classics, classic animations, their Renaissance Era, or even Pixar, we’ve all grown up with it. However, within the 2000’s we haven’t gotten anything classic from them in animation aside from what Pixar’s been giving us. We all wanted to relive childhood and experience the magic of Disney Princess stories in the theater again, and it wasn’t until 2009 and 2010 when we were given “The Princess and the Frog” and “Tangled,” which were the first two Disney Princess films in years. They were both big hits, and they managed to really bring back nostalgia trips for the adults, as well as show kids these days what TRUE Disney was. While they did manage to be successful both critically and financially, there were elements from both films that didn’t seem to balance it out. For “Princess and the Frog” it was the songs by Randy Newman and plot, where as “Tangled” was with it being CGI instead of hand-drawn and have on-screen actors do the voices instead of professionals or no-names.

This year, Disney attempts again try and relive the glory days of the original Renaissance Era, with their adaption of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” under the title “Frozen,” and their first adaption an Andersen story since “The Little Mermaid.” Now when teasers started to pop up from this film, I had to admit I wasn’t too into it with the snowman and reindeer bit. Then the cast list popped up, and that got me mixed about the film, as like I said I don’t like it when on-screen actors are doing the voices, unless it’s done right. However, I still decided to give this film the benefit of the doubt and went to go see it.

And let me tell you, this film manages to feel like one you’d see from the Disney Renaissance Era. It felt so much like watching “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” more so than “The Princess and the Frog” and “Tangled” on many levels.

The film tells of two sisters, Anna and Elsa, who have both been separated from each other and locked in the castle for many years, especially after their parents’ death. Reason for this was due to Elsa almost killing Anna by accident with her snow powers, which had Anna get rid of her memories to protect her. On the day Elsa is courted to be Queen, Anna tries to get some answers when she is denied her marriage, which causes Elsa to freak out and run away, exposing her powers and causing an eternal winter. Now Anna has to go after her, while getting assistance from a fellow ice seller, his deer, and a snowman. There are changes from the original Anderson story, but what works is how they handled making it work for Disney fans all around.

First off, let me say that the animation is absolutely GLORIOUS! Out of all the CGI animation Disney has given us from their animation studio, this and “Wreck-It Ralph” stand as their best! This really does feel like the traditional animation in proper 3D, like they finally got it 100% right. With the combination of snow and ice as most of the scenery, it really lets the colors that the characters have stand out in a really brilliant way. Not to mention, the ice rising doesn’t feel like just a 3D gimmick, it feels like it ACTUALLY belongs in this atmosphere. How they did it this good is just astonishing.

The music in this film, what can I say? It sounds so beautiful and so hypnotizing, I immediately got the soundtrack. If music was like the dessert you get at your favorite restaurant, THIS would be it. The songs were done by Robert and Kristen Anderson Lopez, most familiar for writing songs for “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” which would explain why the songs in the film sound so Broadway like. It really manages to fit in with the film perfectly, and it’s very rare with most Disney flicks.

Broadway-esque songs really help, since the cast features mostly Broadway actors. If you haven’t guessed, that’s Idina Menzel from “Wicked” and “Rent” playing Elsa. She does a MAGNIFICENT job in this film, as she really knows how to deliver a performance, and boy did she NAIL this! It was also really great to see a Disney Princess as a QUEEN in the movie, which is INCREDIBLY rare for people. What also worked really well in this film was the mockery moments they had to other Princess stories, which were addressed by both Elsa and Kristoff, the ice seller, towards Anna. Yeah, you know those satire moments they had in “Enchanted,” which went overboard? Unlike this film, the moments are actually SUBTLE and NOT shoved in your face. Not only that, but the relationship between Anna and Kristoff is actually genuine and developed very well, making it one of the most realistic romances since “Beauty and the Beast.” They also gave an interesting relationship with Elsa and Anna, showing a great bond between sisters through and through. If you have daughters, or sisters, who constantly fight, take them to see this movie. The fact that they got a strong bond between sisters done this well is worth the price of admission alone. My favorite character, however, was the snowman they advertised, Olaf. He just has such an upbeat attitude, and they turned a character that COULD have been annoying and made him incredibly funny. Oh, and in case you’re wondering; YES, that is Josh Gad from “The Book of Mormon” voicing the character, proving my point further that Broadway actors prove to give much better voice-over performances than most movies that shove a celebrity in there just to get a name in there. And yes, I am aware Kristen Bell is voicing Anna in the film, but she did manage to prove me wrong, as she really managed to do such an amazing job with her performance. I honestly couldn’t picture Bell in the film, all I saw was the character of Anna.

The film was directed and written by Chris Buck, who directed Disney’s adaption of “Tarzan,” and Jennifer Lee, who wrote the screenplay for “Wreck-It Ralph.” These two really managed to bring this film so much life to this film, and I applaud them for the fantastic job they did.

Overall, “Frozen” is one of my favorite films of the year, and this film AND “Wreck-It Ralph” starts up a new Renaissance for Disney this generation. It may have started with “The Princess and the Frog,” but here I know it has picked up at its fullest. It’s got great animation, great performances, BREATHTAKING MUSIC, and just an all around good feeling given when you come out of it.

Rating: 10/10

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

                Last year, movie goers alike were given the new film from Gary Ross, “The Hunger Games.” It told the story of Katniss Everdeen, a girl who volunteers to participate in the annual Hunger Games, which is a survival tournament, in which two members from each of the twelve districts are forced to fight each other to the death, and whoever survives last, that district wins. It was a huge hit at the box office, and many critics and fans of the novel were overjoyed by it. However, most people who didn’t like it gave out the same reason for it: it was just a tamed down version of “Battle Royal,” a film with the same setting only it was a much more grizzly film. I can understand both praise and hate the same way, and I do have to agree, “Battle Royal” is the superior film by a long shot. Despite that, I actually enjoyed “The Hunger Games” mostly for its satiric take on reality TV and the performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, down to Woody Harrelson and Donald Sutherland.

                Now when word of the sequel being in the works, I was actually not too pleased from what I heard. For starters, Gary Ross had stepped down from director, leaving the chair to be occupied by Francis Lawrence, who is mostly known for directing “Constantine,” “I Am Legend,” and a whole bunch of Brittany Spears music videos. Not only that, but both Ross AND the author of the books, Suzanne Collins, stepped down as the writers of the screenplay. At first, I felt at ease when they announced that Michael Arndt (or Michael DeBruyn) was brought up for the job, but then expectations went down when they also brought up Simon Beaufoy as well. For those who don’t know, Beaufoy is the man who had won the Oscar for his screenplay on “Slumdog Millionaire,” a film that was uncomfortable, lacking in character development, full of coincidences that add up to nothing, a story with more flaws than a malfunctioning Virtual Boy, dialogue that is hard to listen to, and is nothing but a cruel, sick, trainwreck; to this day, I consider that film not only the most overrated film ever made, but the worst film to have ever been associated with an Oscar, let alone win eight of them, including Best Picture; yes, worse than “Crash.”

                My point is I thought this film was dead from the start. However, as I started to read up more about it, I was at least open-minded enough to give this film a chance, despite the low expectations. So after it’s been out for a week, some of my friends and I tagged along to see it. How’d it turn out? Well, let’s find out.

                During the victory tour, Katniss and Peeta have taken time off from surviving the Hunger Games, and try to relive their previous lives. However, Katniss feels that things have changed, as she is trying to find a balance with her relationship with Peeta and Gale. When it comes to the time of the next Hunger Games, she and many of the previous victors from past games must fight for survival once again, only with her family, Gale, and district hanging in the balance. As a continuation, this film really does move on with the story, as it adds more tension and build up for what it has going. That isn’t to say it’s with its share of flaws.

                First off, there are those parts that bring up certain plot points, but they don’t seem to go through with them. For example, they bring up in the beginning that Katniss is suffering traumatic stress, as she hallucinates about killing people outside of the competition. I thought that would be really inventive, but they don’t really explore more on that. Now some may argue that it kind of comes into play during the games, but I didn’t see it. I also wasn’t as invested in the relationship between Katniss and Gale, since they barely touch up on that. I don’t know if it’s delved more into in the book, but here it isn’t done as much. Not only has that, but Plutarch Heavensbee, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, had his plan a little too lucky with how it turns out. That would go into spoilers, so I won’t really delve into that, but I thought that was too lucky.

                Aside from that, everything else was pretty damn good. The cast returning really ups their performances from the last film, as more is at stake throughout the film. Jennifer Lawrence has really evolved as an actress since “Winter’s Bone,” as she’s able to really captivate the image of a celebrity that doesn’t want to do things to please the superiors, but doesn’t want to get herself killed. That scene where she’s reading the requested dialogue off those cards has her showing at least 14 emotions in one setting. Josh Hutcherson is given much more to work with as well, as someone who knows how to please a crowd in a way that works. Hutcherson and Lawrence have really become two of my favorite young actors, managing to live up to many greats who are also in the film. Donald Sutherland has much more involvement, delivering a very chilling performance just from his first appearance alone. The way he speaks and the dialogue he delivers is simply brilliant. Even Phil Hoffman manages to be pretty good, even with the complaints I had. Elizabeth Banks as well was very well done, as she’s much stricter than she was in the last film, which adds to more for the satire on celebrity life. And let’s not forget Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, one of the victors that got off scott-free. He still brings a great performance and presence to the character, which is the typical Woody Harrelson performance. With that said, I still want my “Zombieland 2” damn it! Many of the other characters like Lynn Cohen as Mags, Sam Claflin as Finnick, Jeffery Wright as Beetee, and pretty much everyone else did great.

                Now as the first film felt like an Americanized version of “Battle Royale,” does THIS film feel like an Americanized version of “Battle Royale 2?” Well no, because unlike that film, “Catching Fire” is actually good. Sure, when comparing the two first films, “Battle Royale” is superior because it has much more character and conflict to it, but this time around it’s “Hunger Games” that came out on top with a superior sequel. I think the reason it managed to be superior was probably due to the expectations that were made from both. “Battle Royale” was a film that managed to be both fresh, original, and don’t right tense, so a sequel would get you pumped for more, only to lead to a huge amount of disappointment. And like I said, I wasn’t looking forward to “Catching Fire,” so when I saw it, I was genuinely surprised by how much I DID like it. Meaning……Francis Lawrence and Simon Beaufoy actually made a good movie, and a DAMN good one at that.

                What was a unique thing was this should have been just a rehash of the first film, and from what I heard it was what the book was as well, but this film really did manage to actually take that habit and make it work. For one, the Hunger Games doesn’t start until halfway through the movie, there are more twists and turns brought to the table, and it manages to show how harsh this world is. Only thing was I wish it could have been a little darker, seeing how the books are much more graphic than what these movies make them out to be. I mean, I actually heard there was some kind of hinted sex scene in there, and I’m asking this: “The MPAA had no problem with giving “Twilight” the pass, but not this?” And don’t give me that bullshit saying, “Oh, but Twilight’s an adult story, where Hunger Games is for kids.” That excuse is completely backwards, because a story where children are murdered in a sporting event is a much darker take, than a story about an emotionless dumb broad who falls for a bland whiney emo vampire, and then toy with the emotions of another guy who later on decides to fuck the broad’s infant.

                Face it; “Twilight” was nothing more than an insult to women, monsters, horror, literature, romance, and people in general, as this felt like it was written for children BY children, being just as intelligence insulting as “The Oogieloves.” “Hunger Games” actually has character, dilemma, development, story, and above all, EFFORT.

                Overall, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is a big improvement from the first film, and with what Lawrence and Beaufoy did with this film…I’m hoping they keep it that way for the last two films.

Rating: 9/10