‘Spies in Disguise’ An Enjoyable Animated Farce

     Blue Sky Animation Studios is a company that gets kind of overlooked in regards to discussing big animated films. This is mostly because while they have made a couple of decent films here and there, most of their work consists of either fairly forgettable animated films or Ice Age sequels. However, things might look up for them after their newest animated feature, Spies in Disguise, a film that knows exactly what it is, a simple and fun animated comedy that is executed really well. Elevated by a straight forward story, a great duo and some fantastic animation, Spies in Disguise, ends up being one of the best films from Blue Sky Studios by far.

Refreshing Albeit Nothing Too New

     When a famous Spy known as Lance Sterling (Will Smith) gets framed for a crime he didn’t commit, he tries to get help from a young scientist named Walter Beckett (Tom Holland). Beckett offers a potion to Sterling, only for Sterling to end up turning into a pigeon. Trying to get adjusted to his new form, Sterling and Beckett end up teaming up to not only save Sterling’s career but potentially the world as well. On the surface, Spies in Disguise seems like a very standard animated movie plot, feeling like various other animated movies of the past. The basic story is very much Emperor’s New Groove with some elements of various Spy parodies and other animated films like The Incredibles. It is very much a film that has various story elements that are considered clichés from character backstory to certain dynamics. What gives Spies in Disguise a pass however is more so what the film is trying to accomplish and how it’s executed. This is a movie that isn’t meant to be taken ridiculously seriously and fortunately, the film has a lot of solid comedy to boot thanks to the characters and animation. It is a joy to watch some of these jokes unfold and while not every single one hits, some of them hit fairly hard with a good laugh here and there. Even taking the humor out of it, the story is still straightforward but never feels padded out with numerous scenes of filler, which tends to be an issue with a lot of films from Blue Sky. Not only that, but the film ultimately has a good message about embracing what makes you unique and not being afraid of being different even when it feels like you are not accepted because of that. Again, it is a message that has been seeing before in animated film, but thanks to the film really showcasing why that is important from beginning to end here, it ends up working in favors for this animated film. It leads to an incredibly entertaining experience that feels very refreshing to see from this studio even if it’s not the ground breaking animated film from this year.

A New Good Duo with Smith and Holland

     Another massive strong point of Spies in Disguise is how it handles its two leads. Will Smith is incredibly charming as Lance Sterling. Unlike most of his other films from the past few years where he played characters that really did not fit his style of acting, it was clear that the creators of this movie had Smith in mind in terms of who to play this character. Smith gives a lot of charisma to this character not only being a well-designed animated character, but one who has a decent arch and has great timing when it comes to the film’s fast paced sense of humor. He is also accompanied by a great sidekick with Tom Holland who also is very well casted as Walter Beckett. Beckett helps conveys the film’s message of embracing individuality due to how likable this character is from the start and how great of support he is when interacting with Sterling. In fact, most of the film relies on Holland’s and Smith’s dynamic and both actors play off each other incredibly well. There are a decent amount of side characters in this movie, however, unlike a lot of other Blue Sky movies where it is too over abundant with characters that don’t add much to the story, here, every side character gets enough attention. The film never loses any focuses on its leads and for what some of the side characters do, they accomplish their role in the story just fine. In reality, what really saved this movie was how it utilizes its characters making the center focus of Will Smith and Tom Holland being excellent highlights to what already is a very entertaining animated feature.

Slick and Stylized Animation

     One element that excels this movie over most other films from Blue Sky is how the film looks from an animation perspective. The film doesn’t go for a realistic style but instead an incredibly cartoony and over the top one. It works so well thanks to a ton of elements played here making this film visually impressive. The character animation itself is extremely smooth with a lot of characters giving distinct movements and designs that really help them stand out in an already stylized world they are in. The film is not afraid to use squash and stretch along with extreme expressions to their full potential, creating for some downright hilarious moments. Not just the movements, but also the colors in this film pop out amazingly. So many shots are filled with so visually appealing set pieces and a variety of different colors that help make this film stand out among other animated features. It helps add to the stylized nature that is needed in a spy film in the vein of this. The animation of Spies in Disguise really helps make it a standout and adds to the film’s overall unique approach to creating an animated film.

A Joyful Farce From Beginning to End

     Spies in Disguise is far from a groundbreaking or truly fantastic animated film, but it was never its intention. The film was meant to be a farce of the film, being one that is consistently entertaining throughout the entire runtime and it succeeds very well at that. Thanks to a great duo of actors being utilized at their best and some exceptional animation, Spies in Disguise is something to not overlook. In regards to fun family films that are worth checking out, this film in particular succeeds on that level big time and serves as a good time. It is a refreshing and energized film that, while not fully new in theory, manages to feel new thanks to some exceptional effort.

‘Star War: Rise of Skywalker’ An Underwhelming Finale to the Saga

    There is no denying the impact that Star Wars has had on pop culture, but between the last few movies, it became a needless topic of debate. The last few films have been met with very polarizing reactions all over the place with fans citing that Disney’s new direction with the franchise has either been the best or worse thing to happen to the series. Unfortunately, the polarizing nature of modern Star Wars is still continuing, this time with Rise of Skywalker set to be the final film in the entire Star Wars saga. However, unlike the previous few new Star Wars films, Rise of Skywalker provides a rather safe and hollow experience, leading to an underwhelming finale that doesn’t feel as coherent and fulfilling as it should be.

A Plot that is Rather Rushed than Thought Out

     Rise of Skywalker takes place shortly after the events of Last Jedi, where an old evil force has return in the form of Emperor Palpatine. With his return becoming more and more of a threat, it’s up the resistance and the characters of Rey, Poe, Finn and many others to stop his evil plan of taking over the galaxy. This is of course a basic premise for a Star Wars film which is fine on its own, however things feel a lot hollower when you realized, there’s not much to it than that. Elements like returning an iconic villain could have potential but the movie never gives full merit for why this is a thing and instead it feels like something that J.J. Abrams and the other writers thought of it at the last minute without being full well thought out. Even taking that element out of it, the story just feels all over the place setting up elements or having elements from the previous films set up but never having a full payoff. It truly feels like Disney and team never had a full plan for what this trilogy has to offer and they want to change things in an attempt to course correct many issues’ with The Last Jedi. If it was any other film, this would be one thing, but the problem is, this is set to be the end of a saga for a franchise that has lasted for decades and it doesn’t feel like they had an idea of where the finale needed to go. As a sendoff, this feels like a massive disappointment. It’s not to say the film doesn’t have strong moments or characters in it at points, but as a whole, the film just feels hollow and for the third in a trilogy, it shouldn’t be that way.

Characters Don’t Feel as Fleshed Out Most of the Time

     An element that is always remembered in any Star Wars movie, it is the huge cast of lovable characters the film and this film has that great cast. The downside is the film doesn’t really put some of these great characters to good use. Characters like Finn and Poe, who were introduced very well in The Force Awakens, don’t really have much development or to do here. They’re here to serve as side characters but there could have been more explored with their characters in the same way the previous few movies set up. Some classic Star Wars characters do return with some fun moments like Chewbacca, C3-PO and Lando Calrissian but those moments are very limited throughout the majority of the runtime. One of the worst aspects of this movie that makes it feel rushed from a character perspective is how the film introduces so many new characters that tie in with the previously established characters of this new trilogy. The moment some of them are introduced, they’re kind of glanced over and don’t leave much of an impact in the grand scheme of the film’s two and a half hour runtime. To mention something positive character wise, Rey and Kylo Ren still have some good character moments here and there that help dive into their past and how they’ve dealt with them and Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver deliver solid performances with the material given. Even then, some of the decisions made with these characters aren’t as fleshed out, especially when dealing with the film’s main antagonist being Emperor Palpatine. Outside of Palpatine’s design in this film, his inclusion in the plot rarely works as it feels like the writers could not have thought of any other original idea outside of bringing an older villain to the final film. It is a shame some of these great actors and characters ended up being wasted on a film that is otherwise rushed and didn’t give them more material and depth to this expansive universe of Star Wars.

Serves Fans a Typical Star Wars Experience Visually

     Regardless of quality of the story itself in these newer films, the recent Star Wars films have been pretty consistent at giving fans an aesthetically appealing movie. The film is shot fairly well and production design is pretty spot on across the board. The film has some very neat set pieces that still manage to immerse you into the world of this franchise. Not only that but the new trilogy is still on this trend of having more practical looking creatures as opposed to CGI to improve on one of the criticisms that the Star Wars prequels had. Not to mention, Rise of Skywalker still features some very enjoyable action scenes that are sometimes standards to the series but other times unique. With highlight being a pretty solid lightsaber fight on the ruins of the Death Star in the ocean being one of the most epic sequences in the entire film. Even then however, the well done aesthetics still feel rather wasted on a script that wasn’t fleshed out as much as it clearly needed to be. So even with a ton spectacle on screen, it still feels rather hollow with a script that showcases this franchise’s full potential.

Not the Worst but Nothing Special

     With all of the discourse surrounding the Star Wars franchise, it is safe to say Rise of Skywalker is far from the worst thing out there, even by Star Wars standards. It has enough creativity, decent character moments and set pieces to make for an entertaining film experience. However, outside of that, there is nothing truly impactful here that Star Wars has been known for having in the past. It is plagued by subpar writing and a rushed plot that really proved that the people behind this film didn’t have a clear direction on where this trilogy needed to go. It is a shame when there are so many decent elements here in Rise of Skywalker; it just isn’t enough to save what ultimately a poorly planned out film. Granted, it is a Star Wars movie that still has an entertainment factor to it and some fans will love it regardless for how it handles the end of the saga and that in of itself isn’t bad. However, if you’re looking for something that would truly make an impact in the same vein as the very best of what this franchise has to offer, unfortunately the force is not that strong with this one.

'Cats': Not a Film, An Endurance Test

     No film has ever brought so many questions than the announcement of a live action adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous Broadway musical, Cats. The original show itself is much divided being one of those famous musical that you either love or hate, however one would never expect a film like this to be made especially in live action with human cat hybrids. However saying this is a film would be putting it nicely, because in actuality, this is an endurance test. Cats 2019 is one of the most unsettling films to ever come out in recent memory and unlike a film like Parasite or Midsommar; this did not seem like the intention. It is a baffling mess of a film that makes you question so many different things in regards to how something like this could exist.

Proof That You Cannot Adapt Everything Into Film

     The film’s basic premise is very much similar to the original Broadway play, being about a group of cats gathering together one night to figure out which cat would be worthy enough to become the “Jellicle Choice”.  The original play did not have much of a flowing narrative, with no real act structure and it is more about introducing characters and moving on to the next one. While it seems very clunky, this structure could work for a stage production considering that a stage production is known for its spectacle for being live and in person. Cats’ fundamental issue is that translating an entire Broadway show with essentially no real story and adapting fully as a film does not work at all. The film does not do a good job making this show have a more narrative flow to it because it just adapts the moments from the play with not a real story tying it together. There is somewhat of an attempt by making one of the cats from the play a center focus as being the main one we’re supposed to latch onto and by giving a bigger role to the film’s potential antagonist. The problem lies with both of these characters don’t have much of a personality or backstory to them, making us not be able to care or latch onto them as much as we would like. It is a shame because there could have been a way of adapting the original Broadway show and changing up its narrative to be more suitable for a film however the film does not make any real attempt or put any effort to it. It leads into a film that just feels pointless and bizarre from a story perspective and not in a good way either. Even when the film does try to have some personality with its songs and characters, it doesn’t change the fact that this story as it is does not work as a film in the slightest.

Characters are Just There for Their Song and That’s It

     As mentioned earlier, the original show for Cats was not a traditional narrative and main purpose was just to introduce characters with a catchy song attached to them. However, much like the story itself, this does not work as a movie as characters are introduce and we never get a good opportunity to get to know them or have them leave a huge impact. Whatever is seen regarding some of these characters are just filled with pandering nonsense dealing with either really bad jokes or dance sequences that go on for way longer than they need to be. Not to mention we see these characters being portrayed by already hit or miss actors at their worse or talented ones that you cannot believe are doing the ridiculous acts this film requires them to do. Some may say that the songs could potentially make up for it considering the film is a musical and every song deals with these characters. While the songs themselves aren’t inherently awful as some of them do provide a catchy melody and even a not so modernized rendition for a change, it doesn’t save the lack of development and backstory these characters have in all honesty. You can’t focus on how good the songs may be if you’re focused more on how unnatural everything feels and we haven’t even discussed the main factor that ruins the entire film, being the horrifying look this film unintentional brought.

Nightmare Fuel for the Ages

     The biggest stand out for this feature film is the visual aspect but unlike movies like Blade Runner 2049 or Spider-Verse, it is not a positive for Cats. Instead of making the film a stylized animated motion picture with fun character designs of anthropomorphic cats with very energetic movements, they decided to create this as a motion capture film with ungodly human like cat people in this. Now, some may defend this statement as it’s trying to stay true to the initial play, however bringing Cats onto a film as opposed to a play is much less acceptable. When watching a Broadway play, you are already aware of the fact that you are watching live people performing the show and if they’re playing non-human characters, you are require to have the suspension of disbelief. You would have to imagine these actors on stage playing are actual cats in the show, but when it’s a movie you can’t have that suspension of disbelief because the question in your head while watching it is why isn’t this animated? Not only that, but the cats in this film look disgusting unlike the Broadway show where there was some impressive make-up, there are a ton of horrifying uncanny valley faces to these weird furry bodies for these cat people. The cats look too human like for their own good with faces that are downright unnatural and that’s not even including some of the more downright disturbing imagery this movie has. The film still tries to be one that’s made for families but between all the unsettling imagery and unintentionally disturbing moments, it becomes a film that practically appeals to no one. It is definite proof that stylized animation should never be ignored by studio execs because otherwise you get something as nightmarish as this film.

An Unforgettable Endurance of Insanity

     Cats is memorable and disturbing but for all the wrong reasons. Watching this film unfold is rough with so many moments of pure cringe and agony that it will bring so many questions to anyone watching it. Whether it is how Tom Hopper went from Academy Award winning film maker to this, how something with such a bizarre unsettling look got a PG rating and why did they simply not choose to make this an animated film when that was the better option? Either way, this film does not come recommended unless if you want a challenge to see how long you would be able to handle the madness this film has to offer. As the tagline of the film said, “You will Believe”, and by that, they mean believing that something ungodly like Cats can somehow exist.