MOVIE: Arthur Christmas (2011)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Arthur ChristmasYear: 2011Rating: PGLength: 97 minutes / 1.62 hours There are plenty of Christmas movies out there that explore the different aspects of Santa in lots of different ways. Whether it’s the “origin story” of Klaus (2019) or the “legal magic” of The Santa Clause (1994), there are many different interpretations of the magical main character of the holiday season. The one that does its best to modernize and show the logistical challenge of delivering presents to every kid on Earth in one night is none other than Arthur Christmas (2011). I’ve always loved Aardman animation, so it felt a little weird to me to see them work their family-friendly magic in this movie with a visual style that did not fit most of their previous work (like Wallace & Gromit). Still, their standard British humor shines through here while also managing to be a heartwarming story of family and legacy. If anything, their version of the Santa Claus mythos makes the...
Read More

MOVIE: Wallace & Gromit – The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-RabbitYear: 2005Rating: GLength: 85 minutes / 1.42 hours Having grown up with the Wallace & Gromit short films, I've always held the belief that this duo is the core to Aardman Animations' success. For their first outing in a feature-length context, there was bound to be some growing pains with the transition from short films. Granted, this wasn't Aardman's first foray into feature-length stop motion films, but there were a lot of expectations riding on this film based on how well the previous Wallace & Gromit shorts had done. With the leap into a feature-length movie, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) pulled out all the stops for its visuals. The whole thing looks great, even if it's clear in spots that there were computers being used instead of just the raw physical medium of Plasticine. As always, Gromit is the most expressive silent character of this century (and I'd even say...
Read More

BOOK: Good Omens (1990)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Good Omens Year: 1990 Author: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman Length: 753 minutes / 12.55 hours Perhaps I’m in the minority here, but I only thought Good Omens was just OK. You’d think that the combination of two of the best British writers would create an incredible story, but I felt it was mostly disjointed, un-climatic, and full of that British humor that tends to be more random than based in actual jokes. Granted, most books by Terry Pratchett or Neil Gaiman that I’ve read have been hit or miss, depending on how peculiarly random the subject might be. Sure, there are elements of a great story here; it just felt distracted from its main purpose half of the time. The core of Good Omens is split into two parts: following the actual Antichrist who is unaware of his theological significance/role in the end of the world and the journey of an angel and a demon who happened to lose said Antichrist. This idea's strength is enough...
Read More