Muppets, realism, and bow ties

It seems that a lot of my posts lately are based from things I find on IMDB. Today’s post is no exception. Read on:

Muppets Become Victims of Computerized Animation

While I do accept the fact that, yes Yoda would not look good as a Muppet surrounded by a bunch of digital characters, it still saddens me to see that the puppets that I grew up with are being retired and put up on the shelf. Now the will only to be seen by tourists on studio tours, wondering how they ever got by using those things. I realize that compared to modern computer animation the Muppets do look old and a little out of date, and they might not look real or make realistic movements, but since when has film been about realism, especially when it comes to puppets. Have we gotten so caught up in trying to make things look real that we can’t slip away into fantasy anymore without questioning the realism of things?

Now, some of you out there who know me might be saying, “Aren’t you the one who is always bitching about realism in movies?” Well to those people I say: read my next post because I have had a change of heart. However, for the time being I’ll say that in certain instances realism is needed in film, like in historical films for instances (eventhough it's usually never there). But when it comes to Muppets? Come on now! They’re just bloody Muppets in a fantasy. Can’t you let it go? It’s like when that bow tie wearing, republican, hate monger, shmuck Tucker Carlson from CNN’s Crossfire accused Jon Stewart of not living up to responsibility of a being a newsman. To that, Stewart pointed out that, Carlson, was on a 24 hour news network that’s supposed to provide the public with hard hitting facts. Jon Stewart’s show is on Comedy Central and is followed by puppets making prank phone calls. There’s no comparison, just like Muppets lacking realism.

For further discussion about realism stay tuned for my next post where I will bash more things.

Youngblood

Youngblood at the Movies

Tonight I went to check out the sci-fi, not exactly-Jumanji, board game adventure extravaganza, Zathura. Now this was one movie I never really was that pumped up to see. As a matter of fact I wasn’t pumped to see this at all. However, I’m glad that I went. It was well worth the four-dollar admission and eight-dollar popcorn and drink (no matter how many times I buy that it just still seems so wrong to me. I think I evened things out by bringing my own chocolate bar).

This was a great popcorn movie. You could just sit back, relax and not once think “Oh that looked so fake” or “that couldn’t happen”. If you can say that, then your in the wrong theatre, cause if you’re getting all realistic about a movie that’s based around a magical board game then something is seriously wrong with you. Yes I did predict the ending and I noticed that the one kids band-aid changed back and for a few times, but that’s nothing I’m all too concerned about. Like I said before: magical board game.

I did find it interesting that with a PG rating and its target audience being kids, the two boys were calling each other names like dick, biatch, and an excessive use of the word hell. It’s really nothing too bad, it just seems strange because these kids are 6 and 10, and considering the target audience, usually they wouldn’t even go near that in a movie. But then again, magical board game, I suppose I shouldn’t dwell on it too much.

The story was all there. It thought it was a really good story for kids. The relationship of the boys kind of reminded me of my brother and I when we were kids. I didn’t find any plot holes or anything. They did a really good job of presenting certain little events throughout the movie, that at first don’t seem all that important but pay off in the end. I think those are always nice, as long as they serve a purpose to the story, which in this case they do.

The effects in the movie were incredible, short for some of the alien’s costumes. They had the same feel of the live action Ninja Turtles, only much better. However, while they didn’t look that great I think it wouldn’t have looked as good as CGI so I think they made a good choice. I think one of the reasons that they were able to have such high quality effects is because of the lack of cast. IMDB records only 11 cast members in Zathura. One of which, Frank Ox, is just a voice and 4 others are just nameless aliens. I don’t know about you, but to me that seems like a good way to save some cash.

Overall I really enjoyed this and I think it was just as good as Jumanji. That’s pretty good considering that I didn’t think it would be nearly as good. I’m giving Zathura * * * * out of 5.

Youngblood