The Incredibles and Kung Fu Panda
Dec. 1st, 2008 04:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerMy brother and I like to watch movies together. Unfortunately our Venn diagram of movie genres we like has about a quarter inch of overlap, so we always spend about half an our in the rental place (which, let it be known, rented us a defective DVD - Movie Gallery, you are so on notice) and then walk home with an animated children's movie.
Fortunately the animated children's movies that have come out recently are awesome; I saw Kung Fu Panda and The Incredibles this weekend.
A lot. Its hero, Po, is a rabid kung-fu fanboy, who has action figures and dreams that are like self-insertion badfic written by a thirteen year old (and thus totally hilarious), who is tenacious and optimistic and fat for the entire movie. Heroes are never fat for the entire movie. They always lose weight halfway through and become Mr. Superbuff, because obviously fat people are totally unheroic.
Admittedly in the context of Kung Fu Panda it would have made sense for Po to lose weight during his Kung Fu Training Montage of Doom, but it would also have made sense for someone who actually knew kung fu to defeat Tai Lung the evil kung-fu leopard; Kung Fu Panda is not long on plot logic (if you've seen the previews you know or can guess four-fifths of the plot), but it's funny and sweet and it has Jack Black.
I didn't love The Incredibles quite as much, partly because I was expecting more of it than Kung Fu Panda. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy it a great deal - who couldn't love a movie that starts out with superheroes getting sued? - but I expected, I guess, a bigger break with superhero movie-ness? Teach me to read reviews before seeing the movie.
The characters are wonderful, though. I loved the fact that Mr. Incredible is an adrenaline junkie - it's not that he doesn't also like helping people, but he's clearly addicted to the thrill. (I think The Dark Knight would have been a better movie if Bruce Wayne got something similar out of being Batman; as it is, his only flaw is "not knowing his limits," which is not sufficiently flaw-like to placate me.)
Also, Edna. Edna was wildly amusing.
I do wish that Violet wouldn't have had her hair in the eyes all the time, though; I know it showed her lack of self-confidence, but I found it really irritating.
(Incidentally, Violet is voiced by Sarah Vowell, who wrote The Wordy Shipmates and also Assassination Vacation, which is basically a historical tour of presidential assassinations from Lincoln to McKinley. Assassination Vacation is worth reading just to see Robert Todd Lincoln referred to as "Jinxy McDeath," because he was present at all three assassinations.)
As much as I love DVDs, I'm hoping that I'll actually get to see Bolt in the theaters. I hope it's as good as its previews. But even if not...there will be a big screen! And popcorn! And I won't have to give Movie Gallery any money!
Fortunately the animated children's movies that have come out recently are awesome; I saw Kung Fu Panda and The Incredibles this weekend.
A lot. Its hero, Po, is a rabid kung-fu fanboy, who has action figures and dreams that are like self-insertion badfic written by a thirteen year old (and thus totally hilarious), who is tenacious and optimistic and fat for the entire movie. Heroes are never fat for the entire movie. They always lose weight halfway through and become Mr. Superbuff, because obviously fat people are totally unheroic.
Admittedly in the context of Kung Fu Panda it would have made sense for Po to lose weight during his Kung Fu Training Montage of Doom, but it would also have made sense for someone who actually knew kung fu to defeat Tai Lung the evil kung-fu leopard; Kung Fu Panda is not long on plot logic (if you've seen the previews you know or can guess four-fifths of the plot), but it's funny and sweet and it has Jack Black.
I didn't love The Incredibles quite as much, partly because I was expecting more of it than Kung Fu Panda. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy it a great deal - who couldn't love a movie that starts out with superheroes getting sued? - but I expected, I guess, a bigger break with superhero movie-ness? Teach me to read reviews before seeing the movie.
The characters are wonderful, though. I loved the fact that Mr. Incredible is an adrenaline junkie - it's not that he doesn't also like helping people, but he's clearly addicted to the thrill. (I think The Dark Knight would have been a better movie if Bruce Wayne got something similar out of being Batman; as it is, his only flaw is "not knowing his limits," which is not sufficiently flaw-like to placate me.)
Also, Edna. Edna was wildly amusing.
I do wish that Violet wouldn't have had her hair in the eyes all the time, though; I know it showed her lack of self-confidence, but I found it really irritating.
(Incidentally, Violet is voiced by Sarah Vowell, who wrote The Wordy Shipmates and also Assassination Vacation, which is basically a historical tour of presidential assassinations from Lincoln to McKinley. Assassination Vacation is worth reading just to see Robert Todd Lincoln referred to as "Jinxy McDeath," because he was present at all three assassinations.)
As much as I love DVDs, I'm hoping that I'll actually get to see Bolt in the theaters. I hope it's as good as its previews. But even if not...there will be a big screen! And popcorn! And I won't have to give Movie Gallery any money!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-12-02 02:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-02 05:37 am (UTC)Assassination Vacation is a non-fiction book, and often very funny. I think the style is sometimes too chatty, especially near the beginning, but I really enjoyed it.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-02 05:42 am (UTC)good to know! i may have to go look this up...
no subject
Date: 2008-12-02 07:49 am (UTC)I absolutely want to read Assassination Vacation now.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-02 09:14 pm (UTC)It's pretty awesome.