Girl kicks butt and sings a happy tune. That about sums up Disney’s latest foray into fantasy, this time into the Pacific Islands. Moana is an animated feature about an adventurous teenager who sails away from home on a daring mission to save her people. The title character is the 16-year-old daughter of the chief…
Who doesn’t love their pet or pets? Many of us dote over them as if they were the most precious and prized member of the family. I know my wife certainly does. So the idea behind The Secret Life of Pets – what pets do behind closed doors when humans are not within earshot –…
There is a mythological link between storks and babies in many cultures. A quick search of the Internet reveals references by the Greeks, Germans, Chinese, Egyptians and Israelis, to name but a few. Regardless of the veracity of those myths, that is the starting point or, perhaps that should read “flying point” at the heart…
It’s rude, it’s crude, it sets out to push the envelope and succeeds in doing so, but is also quite clever. I’m talking about Sausage Party, an animated feature from the warped minds of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Jonah Hill. The language is full on. From the outset, it is rampantly sexual with the cartoon…
The fifth in the animated action adventure series that began in 2002, it is once again saber-toothed squirrel Scrat’s epic pursuit of an elusive acorn that drives events in Ice Age: Collision Course. Scrat is catapulted into the universe, bounces off and through planets, pilots a flying saucer and wears a space suit, all the…
Family is at the heart of Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo (2003), which has a standalone script (in other words, if you haven’t seen the former, you can still appreciate the latter). When we are first reacquainted with Dory here, she is living a comfortable existence with loving parents who dote on her,…
One of the most complex and sophisticated animated features I have seen, Zootopia pits a high achiever rabbit alongside its natural predator, a cool and wily fox. The studio has a long and storied legacy of talking animals – from Mickey Mouse’s debut short, Steamboat Willie to Bambi, Dumbo, The Jungle Book and The Lion…
Disney’s latest animated adventure asks the question, what if the asteroid that forever changed life on earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? The Good Dinosaur is about a family of Apatosauruses, in particular the runt of the litter. His name is Arlo and, basically, he’s a scaredy-cat. From the moment…
Coming up with fresh movie ideas is difficult at the best of times, but to do so in the animated medium and with aplomb is particularly challenging. Yet, some filmmakers seem to be able to produce time and again. Fortunately, I am pleased to say Inside Out is yet another fine example of a picture…
The evil genius Gru (voiced by Steve Carrel) and his loyal and haphazard minions became a global success with the emergence of Despicable Me in 2010 and its sequel three years later. A large part of the films’ pleasure was provided by the now familiar little yellow poppets with goggle eyes and denim overalls, who…
