UGLY DOLLS

Voices of:  Kelly Clarkson     Nick Jonas     Janelle Monae     Emma Roberts

Wanda Sykes     Gabriel Iglesias     Blake Shelton     Leehon Wang

     UglyDolls is not really about being ugly; it’s about being different or outside the mold.  The message is worthwhile, but it takes a long time to get there, and the means of delivering it simply doesn’t measure up in terms of being interesting, entertaining, or inspiring.  On the contrary, it seemed to me that I was enduring an extended commercial made by advertising executives trying to sell the concept of inclusiveness (including messages like “Satisfaction guaranteed” along the way). The film has catchy tunes, but the story itself is without much creativity.  

     The “ugly” dolls are actually appealing, and Moxy (Clarkson) stands out for her perseverance and “we can do it” attitude.  It is rewarding to see her actively ignore naysayers—even among her friends and mentor, Ox (Shelton)—and press on towards her dream of going to the “big world” (being chosen to be a real child’s doll).  Her ever-loyal friends—Babo (Iglesia), Mandy (Monae), Wage (Sykes), and Lucky Bat (Wang)—stay with her all the way, even when they’re puzzled and questioning of her.

     Moxy’s main adversary in her endeavor—when she and her pals finally make it to the “Institute of Perfection”—is Lou (Jonas), the trainer of dolls, who claims they have to be perfect so they will be chosen and loved by a child in the “big world” and never be discarded—or in Lou’s terms, “recycled.”  Lou is the narcissistic idol of the dolls in perfection land who is impeccably coifed and dressed and always ready with a cutting remark about how others could improve their appearance.  (The focus is, of course, on physical appearance.) He refers to Moxy and her friends as “a little band of sock puppets” who could never “pass through the gauntlet;” that is, be accepted as a lovable doll.  He fits the idol mold in that all the dolls in his realm constantly look for his approval and attention.  Everyone wants to be special, of course.  And he can make that happen—unless, of course, the doll is hopeless.  Then it should be sent to recycling.  

     Director Kelly Asbury and her creative team perhaps aspired to the likes of Pinocchio,  Ratatouille, or Ponyo, but this production doesn’t measure up to the creative genius in those earlier works, primarily because the principles of inclusion are presented in such simplistic terms (i.e., focusing primarily on physical appearance).  Not as much was highlighted about how much quality of life was so much better in Uglytown before they lost confidence in themselves, than it was in the Perfection Institute.    

     The actors, Clarkson, Jonas, Monae, Sykes, Iglesias, Wang, Shelton, and Roberts are delightful in their renditions of the characters, and that is truly enjoyable, along with the artistic animations and sets.

There are much better movies for children than UglyDolls.

Grade:  D                                    By Donna R. Copeland

SHOW DOGS

Will Arnett     Natasha Lyonne     Omar Chaparro     Andy Beckwith

Voices of:  Ludacris     Alan Cumming     Stanley Tucci     Jordin Sparks     Shaquille O’Neal     Gabriel Iglesias

     Show Dogs, directed by Raja Gosnell and written by Max Botkin and Marc Hyman, is one of the rare animated films that will appeal to children and adults equally.  There is a little pandering to adults in the romantic theme, and to children in a fart joke; but for the most part, the film models good messages about the importance of friends and family and respect for individual and cultural differences.  

     Max (voice of Ludacris) prides himself on being a police dog who is street-wise and disdainful of offers to be his back-up by his feathered admirers whose motto is, “Birds of a feather fight crime together.”  He takes pride in his abilities, and enjoys elite status in the New York Police Department. But he is suspicious when an FBI agent, Frank (Arnett) appears on the scene to solve an animal trafficking problem.  It seems that a baby panda has been taken from his mother, and Max makes a promise when he gets a glimpse of the child that HE will return him to his mother.  But when Max is ordered to partner up with the FBI agent to investigate the crime, still in the planning stages at a dog show, he continually tests Frank’s capabilities, giving him more than a few nips. Frank is just as unhappy as Max, and clearly knows nothing about dogs.

     When he seeks out an expert in Animal Control, Mattie (Lyonne), she realizes right away that Frank (who has lost Max) is clueless about dogs; but she is a patient and kind person, so tries to help him. 

What follows is a combination of a thriller (finding the perps), comedy about poor Max having to become an “undercover” show dog, and gratification for dog lovers who get to see all the breeds primping up for and competing for the prize of Best in Show.  

     Creativity abounds in this unusual pairing of a thriller within a dog show that is animated and also a comedy.  Beyond that, it is more than simply entertaining; it has truths about our world and current issues we’re grappling with. Heitor Pereira’s music enhances and offers further entertainment in its puns, and David Mackie’s cinematography meets every challenge with artistry and skill.  

An animated film like few others, offering thrills, chuckles, and truths to live by.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

MAGIC MIKE XXL

Channing Tatum   Joe Manganiello   Matt Bomer   Adam Rodriguez   Gabriel Iglesias 

 

“We’re male entertainers now; not strippers” say the boys in Kings of Tampa, getting ready for their last blow-out performance at the Strippers Convention on Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.  Magic Mike (Tatum) had left the group to fulfill his dream of making furniture, but when he gets a message out of the blue that causes him great concern, he hooks up with them and is easily persuaded to rejoin them on this last excursion.  It takes them a while to get there with some mishaps along the way, but various women from their past—Rome (Jada Pinkett-Smith), Zoe (Amber Heard), and Paris (Elizabeth Banks)—give them a generous hand, and they make it to their destination with a new show and emcee.

           The aims of this sexy romp of a movie are clearly to entertain—as is claimed.  The men in the Kings of Tampa, as well as those in Rome’s establishment where they stopped along the way, deliver amazing performances in song and dance that even women in the theater screening audience could squeal for heartily.  But the writer (Reid Carolin) and director (Gregory Jacobs) add a little more substance to the brew in empathic looks at male bonding and women’s need for a listening ear and romance. 

           In males, there seems to be a bottom line of trust—although it is repeatedly tested—along with the competition and territorial struggles.  In this group, there is a bit of difficulty reintegrating Mike into the group after three years and a certain amount of resentment about his finding his niche, while most of the others are in some kind of limbo.  But no matter what the conflict, how much hurt is dished out, or how much they argue, the bottom line of love and respect always brings them back together.

           I must confess I have never been in a male strip club and did not see the original Magic Mike; but I was impressed in seeing the performances in Magic Mike XXL show understanding for the things many women are missing in their relationships with men.  Obviously, the focus is on the men and their prowess, but the women they are attending to, however briefly, are not just passive props.  First of all, they ask the women directly what they want.  Then they include them in their act in such a way the two become a unit; it’s not always easy to tell—if you didn’t already know—who is doing what.  (We’ll ignore for the moment that these performances are primarily to show off the men’s acrobatics and gymnastics.)  But there is the illusion of shared control.

           Steven Soderbergh, the director of the previous Magic Mike film, takes the role of cinematographer this time, which is an interesting transition, and he is very good.  He and the director of XXL, Gregory Jacobs, have collaborated on many productions, so the change is seamless.  Reid Carolin, the writer for both productions inserted new plot turns and the choreography was turned up for XXL.  In an interview, Joe Manganiello credits two of the actors, Alison Faulk and Teresa Espinosa, who were in both productions, with dance move assistance.  

           It’s expected that Magic Mike XXL will be just as popular as its predecessor, so there is lots of excitement around the opening of this film.

Woo woo!

Grade:  C+                        By Donna R. Copeland