MOVIE: Ice Age (2002)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Ice AgeYear: 2002Rating: PGLength: 81 minutes / 1.35 hours In an era where most CGI animated movies were coming out of either Pixar or DreamWorks, Ice Age (2002) was a strong contender for 20th Century Fox. While a comedy with talking animals wasn’t a particularly new idea, the setting of prehistoric times made for an amusing “road trip” film as these creatures set out to return a human baby to its tribe. The jokes are smart (which every parent always appreciates), but there’s a thin layer of darker tone that lies underneath that might make this movie a little scary for little kids. Star-studded voice casts had become common by this time, but the three leads of Ray Romano (Manny), Denis Leary (Diego), and John Leguizamo (Sid) are iconic and fit their characters to a tee. And while it was clear the setting was much easier to render in this era than something with grass or other high-detail backgrounds, the detail on...
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MOVIE: Epic (2013)

by benmweilert1 Comment
EpicYear: 2013Rating: PGLength: 102 minutes / 1.70 hours One reason I loved the film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) growing up was the different perspective it brought. When characters are tiny, a yard can be a vast forest. Steps are enormous cliffs. Danger is multiplied. This is not an original idea by any means, but shrinking down characters to experience a much smaller world seems to always have some merit. Even books like Micro have touched on this subject. Epic (2013) is merely another entry in the "miniaturization" trope, but with some good action and world-building to back it up. As with many films like this, Epic wraps its main character, M.K. (Amanda Seyfried) in the troubled trappings of a teenager who is somewhere she does not want to be. It takes an adventure in the nearby woods to appreciate her nerdy father (Jason Sudeikis) and his attempts to connect with her. This revelation is only loosely connected to the battle...
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