WONDER PARK

Voices of:  Brianna Denski     Jennifer Garner     Matthew Broderick     Norbert Leo Butz     John Oliver

Ken Hudson Campbell     Mila Kunis     Kenan Thompson     Ken Jeong

     Wonder Park is a wonderful mixture of adventure, risk and daring-do, problem solving, optimism in the face of setbacks—even some philosophical musings (especially on the part of porcupine Steve in the voice of Oliver) and journeys into grief and depression.

     Ten year-old June (Denski) has a vivid imagination, which is encouraged by her mother (Garner) and father (Broderick).  (Seldom in kids movies are parents shown to be so reasonable and nurturing.)  She and her mother have built a glorious Wonder Park populated by animals June is close to as well as fanciful rides.  She gets a bit rambunctious at times, once laying waste in the neighborhood, for which she must suffer the consequences.  But she is not to be discouraged about rebuilding what is broken; her mother expresses supreme confidence in her ability and imagination.

     Soon after, her parents have some distressing news, which is that the mother is ill and must go away for treatment.  June is devastated and angry, and becomes overly solicitous (bossy) of her dad, and is rude to a visiting aunt and uncle.  She throws a tantrum and throws one of her presents into the fireplace.  She will discover some of the consequences of this behavior later, first in the form of a blueprint flying about by the wind in a forest.  

     Suddenly, June stumbles upon an abandoned train car, and finds herself traveling to parts unknown.  What she happens upon is a curious Wonder Park that is real, but that looks a lot like hers.   Moreover, this Wonder Park is in deep trouble.  It’s been invaded by Chimpanzombies who are in the process of destroying everything, along with a giant dark cloud that periodically appears, bringing the darkness.  She learns this after she encounters some of her old friends like Boomer (Campbell), Steve, Gus (Thompson), Cooper (Jeong), and Greta (Kunis).  But Peanut (Butz) is missing!  The animals explain to her that Peanut knew that the key to restoring the Park is the Clockwork Swings; he had gone to fix it, but never returned.  Now June knows that her job is to find Peanut and fix the Clockwork Swings.  On her way, she’ll have to deal with all the threats in Wonder Park causing problems and endangering her and her friends.

     Along with the brilliant animation and voices, the story is one of the strongest assets of Wonder Park.  In telling the entertaining, suspenseful tale, it manages to maintain a sense of adventure while dealing with grief and depression, trust, self-discovery, social concerns for community and fellow citizens, conscience and redemption, and maintaining a positive outlook on life—a tall order for a children’s movie.  Principal credit for all this goes to the story authors and screenwriters, Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, and Robert Gordon, and additionally to composer Steven Price, cinematographer John Garcia Gonzalez, and all of the artistic and animation crews.  Apparently David Feiss became the director late in the production after the original director was dismissed.

This is one of the best movies for children ever to come along.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE GRINCH

Voices of:  Benedict Cumberbatch     Cameron Seely     Rashida Jones     Tristan O’Hare

Angela Lansbury     Kenan Thompson     Pharrell Williams

     This production of the well-known story pleased the audience I was with, and there were lots of audible reactions from the kids, with applause at the end.  I think it might be a hit at Christmas-time.  The colorful animations, sets, and CGI effects; the Christmas messages that put presents and material things into perspective; and liberal doses of humor and good cheer make it the kind of film that appeals to children and their parents. Noteworthy for our times is its message about forgiveness of those who do wrong.  Although I never saw it, there was a 1967 version of the story (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) that was a huge success, which makes me question once again why remakes are made of already successful movies.   Has the technology progressed so much since 1967 that a new version is called for?

     At any rate, the expressive voices of the actors contribute to the overall quality of this version of The Grinch.  Although I had difficulty “placing” Cumberbatch’s Grinch, he did very well as usual, covering a range of emotions from a grouchy “Bah, Humbug!” to the lost, lonely boy of young Grinch, to his grudgingly being brought to heel about the whole Christmas thing.  This version of The Grinch accounts for his attitude based on his history.  Cameron Seely’s Cindy Lou Who is a stand out performance that makes us love and appreciate her spunkiness, caring, and leadership.  Bringing his comedic talent to bear, Kenan Thompson perfectly captures Bricklebaum, who sees/hears/speaks no evil, always putting a positive spin even on Grinch at his worst.  Finally, Pharrel Williams’ narration comes in at just the right times, with a clear voice to move the story along.

     Congratulations to screenwriters Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow for preserving the wholesome messages of the Seuss book, and my own special appreciation for their refraining from the usually obligatory fart and poop jokes in most movies for children.  It could be I missed something, but I think they avoided references to such things completely.  The music of Danny Elfman and the art direction of Colin Stimson further embellish the qualities above.  Directors Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier can be proud of the team they assembled and their leadership in making the movie sing (actually and metaphorically).  

     I don’t know whether kids will pick up on this or not, but it seems like they might ask where the real Santa was all this time. The Whos wake up on Christmas morning to find their holiday decorations trashed and their gifts missing. Where was the real Santa? Of course, the film is for those old enough to know that it’s the parents who bring the gifts to the house. Maybe small children who still believe in Santa shouldn’t see the film.  Parents, be warned.

Can the Grinch steal Christmas from Whoville?

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

GOING IN STYLE

Morgan Freeman   Michael Caine   Alan Arkin   Matt Dillon  

Joey King   Peter Serafinowicz   Ann Margret   Kenan Thompson

      Going in Style is primarily a comedy, highlighting its three main stars (Freeman, Caine, Arkin), their struggles with aging, and the mixture of easy camaraderie and insults going on between them.  It’s a remake of the 1979 Going in Style with George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strassberg. As in the previous version, to spice it up, a bit of “justifiable” crime antics loosely akin to that in the recent Hell or High Water (at least in its rationale) make it much more interesting.  It plays on the immediate fears of older people today about their pensions and Social Security and the anger toward contemporary banks for their misbehavior. 

     Joe (Caine) is in a bad place because he is financing his granddaughter’s education; Willie has major kidney problems that need attention, and Albert (Arkin) is simply trying to survive.  When the company they worked for, for years, pulls the rug out from under them, they have to figure out a plan.  About the same time that Joe is having discussions with his obtuse, unsympathetic banker who sold him a policy that eventually tripled his mortgage payment (reminiscent of hundreds of such scams in our recent past), thieves hold up the bank.  When they get away with a million plus dollars, Joe says, “Hmmm…”

     The film proceeds formulaically like a comedy show with precise timing of jokes, human interest segments, and clever twists of plot.  A romantic connection is clearly inserted to appease those who need that element.  But the major twist toward the end involves an astute child wise beyond her years.  I guess it was the only way the filmmakers could get out of a bit of a mess, and it will surely please most of the audience. 

     Directed by Zach Braff (Garden State, Wish I was Here), a man much younger than the character and actors, it helps us empathize with so many older Americans who have lost their pensions to corporate thoughtlessness, greed, and bank scams.  Leads Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Arkin are all pros who have worked together previously in various combinations, and they give gravitas to the production.  Strong supporting roles are played by Dillon, Margret, Thompson, and King.  The soundtrack and original music of Rob Simonsen provide entertaining, lyrical tunes as an accompaniment.

An updated, timely version of three old friends’ lives.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland