WOLFWALKERS

Voices of:  Honor Kneafsey     Eva Whittaker     Sean Bean     Simon McBurney

     In the tradition of previous Irish animated films (Secret of the Kells, Song of the Sea), Wolfwalkers uses hand-crafted animation to bring a 17^thCentury folktale to life for the modern age in female empowerment and animal intelligence.  The artistic, hand-crafted animation of a compelling story make this a contender for the best animation of 2020.  

     As the story goes, Robyn (Kneafsey) has aspirations to be like/with her father, hunting wolves who are destroying the crops and frightening the farmers of Kilkenny.  The most cringing moments (for me), along with the threat of death, were the countless times Robyn’s father (Bean) would not listen to his daughter and the Lord Protector (McBurney) would not listen to him.  There are nail-biting scenes full of danger, so only older children able to tolerate life-threatening drama should see it.  The movie may not be for younger children.

     Robyn is a willful child, and despite her father’s admonition to stay at home and clean the house, she cannot help herself from venturing out with her trusty bird Merlin.  This presents a dilemma for him, as he has promised his deceased wife to protect Robyn at all costs.  He is befuddled by his daughter’s behavior of sneaking out of the house, because he has a moral imperative to obey authority.  When he runs into his daughter in the wild—where the wolves are—he can only state what he has learned.  “Go back home”, “Be a good girl” and “do what you are told.”  “I promised your mother I would keep you safe.”  (Her mother is no longer alive.)  

     The excitement and key to the story comes when on one of her forays Robyn encounters a wolfwalker’s child, Mebh (Whittaker) and they become fast friends.  When they have to help each other they do, but sometimes it is at great risk for both.  Keep in mind that humans can turn into wolves and back again, which requires a certain degree of abstraction on the part of the viewer.  For inspiration, writers/directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart took the wolf from mythology—a being that is regarded as wise as a person as well as a partner to humans.  

     Drawings and animations are half of the enjoyment of the movie including the music (Bruno Coulais and the Klia).   But the story is maximally engaging, enhanced by the animation and special effects.

 

For devotees of animation and folklore, this is a movie for you.  Lots of excitement and suspense, all with great depth.

 

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION

Tom Cruise     Rebecca Ferguson     Jeremy Renner     Simon Pegg    

Alec Baldwin     Ving Rhames     Sean Harris     Simon McBurney

      With a complex plot and twists and turns, Mission Impossible:  Rogue Nation does indeed appear to be impossible time after time.  As usual in this series, there are suffocating moments when you wonder how on earth (or in the air) they’ll get out of a scrape, and clearly loyal friendships become paramount.  Intrigue is heightened by a central character who keeps you guessing as to where the loyalty lies. 

      In this feature, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is part of the IMF, a U.S. secret service run by William Brandt (Renner) that is currently being threatened by CIA head Hunley (Baldwin), who believes the Syndicate IMF has been after is a figment of their imagination, particularly Hunt’s.  But because IMF is committed, they go rogue, and Hunt is aided by his old pals William Brandt (Renner), Benji Dunn (Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Rhames). 

      By the way, the movie is filled with humorous puns and references to other Missions, and in this feature, the IMF is not the only entity going rogue.  The frequent jokes and asides make the viewing fun, and offset the repeated high-wire acts (e.g., in an opera house during a performance of Puccini’s Turandot) and near escapes from fights, chases, and under-water challenges. 

      I think writer (with Drew Pearce) and director Christopher McQuarrie have successfully extended the franchise one more time, with intellectual complexity, political maneuverings, and derring-do.  The camera work of a master, Robert Elswit, increases the quality.

      Tom Cruise does his usual fine job in portraying an almost superhuman character whose hunches are infallible.  Adding an appealing, more naïve but still smart sidekick like Pegg adds another entertaining dimension.  A stunning addition is Ferguson’s Ilsa, a beautiful, intelligent, and forceful counterpart to Hunt, where there is chemistry mixed with refreshing ambiguity. 

      It’s impressive that this fifth version of the Mission Impossible series remains fresh and captivating after so many years.  McQuarrie has achieved just the right balance in all its entertaining components.

Fans of the Mission Impossible series are not likely to be disappointed.

Grade:  A-                        By Donna R. Copeland