Hello ladies and gentlemen, Muldoon here with my thoughts on the new Dreamworks Animation film starring the voice of Jim Parsons as an alien “just trying to fit in.” While I have no kids of my own – I really truly tried to go into this film with complete lack of expectations one way or the other, so what you’ll get from me today is one of the most sincere – honest opinions about a movie I think I can put out. Just to shake the daily stressors of a jam-packed day at work beforehand – I made a point to get a big coke and some popcorn first thing – in what I feel was my direct link to childhood film-watching, that nostalgic reminder of going into a giant dark room to see a larger than life story unfold in front of my eyes. (Just as a point of reference for my headspace).
I really didn’t know much about the film until I got the email for the screening. Given the weather’s heating up down here and summer’s just around the corner – my mind immediately went to “Just go have fun. Remind yourself what it would have been like as an 8 year old to go see a new animated flick. It could be great!” And well, it kind of was.
“When Oh, a loveable misfit from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME.”
First up are the pros:
-Jim Parsons was incredibly likeable. Even though at first it was tricky to get Sheldon out of my head, his character, “Oh,” was rather endearing. He did a pretty good job.
- The visuals were wonderful. This is very much a cotton candy, bright saturated colors, big-eyed people style film that I think is just perfect for a children’s movie. “Go figure!” I know - I’m simply saying the world felt lived in. The backgrounds were not just polygons with a color slapped on, but clearly well thought out designs that complimented the foreground elements in the best way possible. The animation itself was fluid and fun. The camera moves and angles felt free, yet always had a solid reason for their placement, meaning it’s got great shots/moves, but they were all motivated and just felt right.
- At its core, it puts across a great message to kids: Don’t run away from your problems – face them head on. Clearly I don’t know if each kid’s going to leave the theater with that message in mind, but it’s there and felt obvious. At that same time, I kind of feel like 100% of all children’s movies share this exact same idea.
- The 3D was fun. It was more of a depth into the frame than it was things hopping out from the screen, though there was that as well – and done well. I do think if you’re going to take your niños to see this thing in theaters that it should definitely be in 3D.
- It had some hidden gems as far as the comedy, though not too many that were aimed at adults, which is totally fine – it just reminded me of the films (like MADAGASCAR for example) that had an extra level of humor sprinkled in that’s for the parents in the audience.
And now the cons:
- Jim Parsons was great! Hell, even Rihanna evaporated into her character, “Gratuity 'Tip' Tucci” – but the rest of the voiceover cast felt like they were there for a paycheck. I’m not sure how fair that is to lay it on them given they were providing a voice, but Jennifer Lopez and Steve Martin (Steve freaking Martin!) didn’t really add much to be honest. For whatever they paid Jennifer Lopez – I just wish they had spent that money on a little bit more script development. Again – to check myself – this is a KIDS MOVIE, so it might not be fair to over think it…. But on that same note, WALL-E, TOY STORY, etc… those films didn’t just rely on the fact that they were for kids – Pixar takes their stories by the horns and typically commands it to be enjoyed by people of all ages. That just wasn’t the case here and the cast didn't really add much besides names on a poster.
- The story itself. If billions of aliens invade Earth and one accidentally hits “reply all” on an email – then boom! that’s the big kick off/conflict of the film leading to the end of the world, sending billions into panic from the fear that a big baddy will get the message and trace it back to where you’re hiding…. Gah! Just have to remember “It’s only a KIDS movie… It’s only a KIDS movie…” The film plays it safe and hits all those familiar beats that you’ve seen time and time again. It’s a “con” to me, because I almost expect more out of a big studio like Dreamworks – this felt a few drafts shy of being something meaningful, but instead it’s like a Happy Meal where you knew what you were getting before you ordered it – didn’t expect much, but expected it to fill your kid’s stomach and it did the job… I’d consider Dreamworks to be one of the better studios out there, so the simplicity of the story felt like a let down. And I really loved ANTZ, Tim Johnson’s more popular Dreamworks film, so I know it’s possible to have a great story wrapped around larger than life characters. This just wasn’t it.
- The music. It just felt inconsistent across the board. I’m not sure if it’s possible to put any more Rihanna songs in a film without it being a musical. I can’t help but feel like there were egos or number crunchers somewhere along the line here making these calls. It was calculated and deliberate - not sincere and earned. They didn’t start up organically or really feel like they belonged, but hey I get it “Rihanna is popular with the youth! They’ll eat this up!” Again, might be me just crankily hearing music I didn’t care for. The composed music felt like it was there to fill the gaps between JLo’s song and other pop songs, so it just felt very processed – very formulaic, another missed opportunity for greatness.
- The “cute” alien talk. The Boovs (aliens) of the film speak in an odd Yoda-style way… or actually the most spot on way to describe their dialog is to refer you to the “I Can Has CheezeBurger” memes… The argument is “they are using English words, but jumbled up and incorrectly – isn’t it funny?” Yes, at times it’s clever how terrible the Boovs syntax is and I’m clearly not one to talk, but if this film reaches the types of kids I saw at that screening last night - I’m not even joking – I think they will encourage them to accept sounding stupid… like if a kid sees this on a Thursday, then has a grammar test on Friday – he/she is totally screwed. I’d hope most kids are smarter than that, but if last night’s free screening showed me anything it’s that parents who shouldn’t have had kids but do flock to a free screenings! Any excuse to bring your 4 month out of the house, right? I kid… but not really. Only a selfish idiot brings an infant to a film – period. The alien talk was funny only in the fact that you knew it was off - if however you're learning grammar at the time of seeing this singular film, I don't know - there could be issues there. (I'm probably over thinking this, but still how I feel).
To sum up my thoughts and back off a bit, at the end of the day was this a bad movie? Not at all. Was it particularly exceptional” Eh, no not really… It was good enough, but sadly not anything I’d feel right telling people to spend a bunch of money on. If you bring, for example, your two 8 year olds to the theater – they will have fun, you won’t. They will feel all those familiar emotional pings you’ve become jaded to. You will have spent roughly 50 bucks (with popcorn… tickets… parking) for something pretty average. That’s the best way I can put it. Again, I’m not saying the movie is bad – it has its moments – I’d just recommend you watch this on DVD or on Netflix as opposed to plopping down money for the theatrical experience. That said, if you still feel like seeing it in theaters – 3D’s the way to go.
If you want a "Good" or "Bad" – I can’t give you that. This review is pretty much a description of lukewarm coffee, sorry. With this film, what you see is what you get – so if you’re looking for a way to keep your kiddos occupied for 90 minutes then this thing’s for you. I'd hate to keep people from seeing this film based on my own child-less thoughts/opinions, but I don't think my thoughts are going to do that - if anything this is a "Hey parents - you've probably already made your minds up about taking your kids to see this on Friday - here's what you're in for." I'm anxious to see what Tim Johnson and Dreamworks Animation do next - fingers crossed it will be a little deeper/beefier than this cotton candy of a film.
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
