… Continued…
Ratatouille
When the teaser for this movie came out last year, I was excited, and I told anybody sitting next to me at that time, “this is the movie I’m going to watch”. But when I can’t even remember most of the characters’ name after exiting the cinema, I was heartbroken.
How can’t I? Pixar has a long list of movies, including the shorts, that have never failed to be enjoyable. Even from the first short movie (Luxo Jr.), Pixar has shown it’s prowess to be the next Disney.
Ratatouille had shown such promise in the story, a rat who can cook, and loves good food. That in itself is interesting. A kind of an underdog story, but not the typical ones. And so, I waited for the release of Ratatouille in Malaysian Cinema.
It started pretty much like all Pixar movie, not too slow, not too fast, but just enough for us to get to know the characters. Everything was nice at this point. The graphic was superb, it’s funny, and it had me prepared for more.
But, past the part where Remy (the rat who, err, which can cook) gotten into a comfort zone, and dilemmas start to arise, to me, the story went downhill. In the end, and until now, I still can’t remember the main male character’s name. That was bad. Seeing that Brad Bird’s the writer, and it’s done by Pixar, maybe it was too much when I assumed it would have the same, if not better effect on me, as compared to The Incredibles, or Cars. Everybody still remembers Mater, or even the kid on the tricycle!
It has hope, but as far as Pixar goes, this one falls short.
Black Sheep
And I thought it was bad that we have Zombie Kg Pisang, it’s worse that New Zealand have the Black Sheep. At least Zombie Kg Pisang has a whole lot of subtle and not-so-subtle moral points, that it tries to tell. I can’t find much in Black Sheep, except that it tries to pay homage to 90s gore-fest horror movies.
I don’t think I have much to say about this movie apart from the beautiful scenery. Go watch if you like brutal sheep.
Knocked Up
This is a good movie, especially when it tries to confront a reality for many of us, especially those who think condoms are for babies (it’s quite the contrary, really!). But it did disturb me, a lot.
First, it seems sweet, when Ben and Allison, both from worlds apart (figuratively, not geographically) tries to accept one another, despite the difference. Both are doing sacrifices, and accepts each other for what they are.
It gets disturbing, at least to me, when both the Ben and Allison couple, and Allison’s sister’s family, gets really honest about things that bothers each other. First, was the kid who loves gore and chuckles at the word penis. Even her description of “where do babies come” is scary. Then, was the actions of the grownups. Of how the guys seem pathetic, and stuck being what the ladies wants, and the ladies being a control freak, seems wrong. Maybe that’s one of the problems the movie tries to address, especially when Ben confronts Debbie (Allison’s Sister) at the hospital.
There’s a scene, where Ben failed in trying to get back with Allison, and blames Pete for not warning him, Ben fumes out the door, Pete watches blankly, and continues carrying the cake for the kids, while singing “Happy Birthday To You”, like nothing happened. That scene alone, made me wonder about a lot of things.
It’s both entertaining, educational, and also a warning: Don’t forget your rubber if you’re not ready to be a father.