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swampmarsh
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John Mulaney: Baby J (2023)
different man, but he still has it
Obviously he's in a different place now in his life, so there is a massive, noticeable change in his demeanor. He even comes right out and says it.
I admit I was worried that this would somehow make him less funny. I was wrong. The man proves he is inherently funny. He doesn't need to be running around on stage to make his stories humorous.
My only gripe is that at some points he pauses between phrases for what feels like an inordinate amount of time, almost as though he's trying to stretch things out a bit. A little off-putting
all in all, yeah it's a different vibe than everything else he's done, but in the end he is still very funny.
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
long-winded and bloated
Beautiful sets, great cinematography, decent acting, but holy cow the monologues got out of hand. People just don't talk like that. This show brings to mind the old saying 'the more you say, the less you've said.'
Uribyeol Ilho-wa Eollukso (2014)
Miyazaki ripoff with Shinkai-inspired imagery
This film tries so hard to have the fantastical wonder of a Ghibli feature as well as the stunning imagery commonly found in the works of Makoto Shinkai. From the design of the weird animal characters to the confusing and random nature of the plot, Satellite Girl and Milk Cow falls flat as a flaccid lump of derivative drivel.
The one-dimensional characters bumble along spewing generic, uninspired dialog while occasionally scuffling with an anthropomorphic incinerator and an unshaven organ harvester wielding a toilet plunger; all the while filling in the paint-by-numbers requirements for a romantic relationship reminiscent of a corny 80s sitcom.
From what I can tell, the overall plot is original. But this doesn't make the film any good.
Rock Dog (2016)
not perfect, but not terrible
I knew nothing about this film when I picked it up. I'm just a sucker for animated features, so I grabbed a copy. This movie was a pleasant surprise. It's not perfect by any means, but it has a certain je ne sais quoi that led me to watching it three times in a row.
The animation quality can't compete with anything produced by the bigger production studios. There is simplicity in the design that reminds me of early 3D animated films, but with a slightly more polished appearance. Director Ash Brannon claimed there were limitations that had to be dealt with (I'm assuming financial) that forced them to keep things simple. Brannon said they embraced their limitations to pay homage to older, hand-drawn cartoons. This alone allowed me to forgive any facet of the animation I might have otherwise regarded as "subpar." The animators could only do so much with what they had, and they pumped out the best product they could.
The voice acting is spot-on. I give props to the casting directors for getting Luke Wilson and Eddie Izzard on the project. Bodi's unending sunny optimism is brought to life with Wilson's vocal ministrations. The naïve little mastiff is easily the most charming character in the film. Angus Scattergood, a rock star cat played by Eddie Izzard, steals the show every second he is on screen. Clever animation and hilarious dialog result in him being just a pure joy to watch. I've found J.K. Simmons doesn't have any variety when it comes to his voice-over roles. He really only uses the same voice for every part he's given. However, it lends itself well enough to the gruff character of Bodi's father, Khampa. In the same boat of one-voice actors there is Lewis Black. Black plays Linnux, an evil businessman and head of a wolf gang who is hell-bent on invading Bodi's village and devouring the sheep that live there. This is quite a strange plot point. Even in a world populated by animals it seems out of place for a wolf (even though he is a predator) to murder an entire village and consume its inhabitants. One would think primitive evolutionary holdovers such as these would simply be things of the past.
Now for the music. For a film titled "Rock Dog" the viewer is going to expect plenty of it during the show. Surprisingly there is very little actual rock in the film. Other than three or four incidental cues and the big number at the end there isn't a whole lot of rockin' taking place. It appears to me the story and growth of the characters take precedent over the actual music. This is not to say the music is lacking, it's just not the main focus of the filmmakers.
I particularly enjoyed the Rock and Roll Park idea. Being a musician myself I was left wishing such a place actually existed. It'd be great to take a few friends to a park and perform for the public. The rapping rabbit was definitely the highlight (for me) of the scene. Adam Friedman, who provided Bodi's singing voice, provided the rabbit's voice in addition to the music and vocal talent of the other park performers. The "shred off" scene was a little disappointing, to be honest. For all the hype the characters gave it, I expected some actual shredding. Unfortunately the whole thing fell flat. I'm not sure what went wrong but Bodi's and Trey's performances sounded equally terrible. Perhaps this was the intent, I don't know. Had Bodi not thrown his guitar (is it really a guitar, though?) away like a fool and losing by default, I'm not convinced there actually would have been a clear victor. For a film that is music related I expected more inspired performances.
The song at the end of the film, "Glorious," is very catchy. We get to see the writing and recording process of the tune in a montage, but we don't hear the final product until right before the credits roll. While not exactly "rock" it's definitely worthy of praise. It seems Bodi truly is the savant Fleetwood Yak thought him to be. Once again Adam Friedman's talents shine through. I hope to hear more of Friedman's work in the future.
The film is obviously intended for the younger audience. One has to know this going in. For me it's a fun, innocent popcorner, albeit a tad sugary. Don't try and compare Rock Dog to other films such as Zootopia. Take it as its own thing. There aren't any boundaries being pushed, nothing new taking place, but it's a heartwarming story with clever visuals and some good music.
Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002)
Pretty much for die-hard fans only.
I believe Gigantic is an awesome piece of work, coming from an extreme TMBG fan standpoint. It gave great insight into some of the little bits and pieces of the band's history. My opinion is based off subject, not film production.
As a documentary, it isn't so hot, but given it was A.J. Schnack's first ever feature film, he did a decent job. The only thing I have a problem with is that had the film been made a few years later, so much more could have been touched on. Their venturing into children's music as well as their collaboration with Homestar Runner and whatnot. Other than this small detail, Gigantic is an awesome film.