Two New Robin William Figures to Debut in Madame Tussands San Francisco

Two new Robin Williams figures will be displayed in Madame Tussauds San Francisco during Fleet Week as a tribute to the comedian's contributions to numerous USO tours. (Photo: Business Wire)

New Robin Williams Figures Introduced to Madame Tussauds San Francisco in Honor of Fleet Week

Fisherman’s Wharf attraction celebrates cherished local star and military comic Robin Williams

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In honor of military service members who will arrive on San Francisco shores for Fleet Week, October 5-12, 2015, Madame Tussauds San Francisco will display two iconic wax depictions of Robin Williams for the first time. The attraction will also offer half-off discounted entry tickets upon presentation of a military ID.

    “We’re thrilled that our newest additions to the Madame Tussauds family are not one but two figures of a local icon”

A lifelong resident of San Francisco, Williams toured extensively with the USO, making three tours each to Iraq and Afghanistan, and traveling overseas to 12 countries to entertain troops. He performed for over 89,000 troops over the course of his tours, offering support to soldiers suffering from sobriety issues and depression. He remains one of the army’s most beloved figures.

Robin Williams was immortalized in wax following a sitting conducted with Madame Tussauds sculptors in April 2001. Both figures are a reflection of Williams as a much-loved stand-up comedian. One figure is modeled on his early career performing at San Francisco comedy clubs; the other depicts Williams in his later years.

“We’re thrilled that our newest additions to the Madame Tussauds family are not one but two figures of a local icon,” said Chris Connors, General Manager of Madame Tussauds San Francisco. “We are looking forward to offering his fans a unique experience, as well as honoring troops during this very special week for San Francisco.”

To track real-time updates on Fleet Week activities, follow Madame Tussauds San Francisco on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


About Madame Tussauds San Francisco
Madame Tussauds San Francisco offers guests the unique opportunity to meet incredible wax likenesses of some of the city’s and world’s most famous stars. Get up close and personal with Hollywood A-listers, music superstars, TV personalities, sporting heroes and cultural icons.

Visit http://www.madametussauds.com/SanFrancisco for more information. Follow Madame Tussauds on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on the latest figure launches.

The attraction is open at 10 AM, 365 days a year, in Fisherman’s Wharf at 145 Jefferson Street, San Francisco, CA, 94133.

About Merlin Entertainments Group – North America
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe’s number one, and the second-largest global visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 111 attractions, 12 hotels/4 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its visitors through its iconic brands, and the commitment of its managers and employees.

Merlin has twenty five attractions and two hotels in North America, including two stunning LEGOLAND resorts, six Madame Tussauds celebrity wax attractions, seven LEGOLAND Discovery Centers, North America’s only Dungeon attraction, and six SEA LIFE aquariums, underlining the company’s positions as the world’s largest global aquarium operator. Learn more by visiting http://www.merlinentertainments.biz.

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Robin Williams Dead at 63 - Breaking... Update #10

Robin Williams, the stand-up comic, television actor, and acclaimed hit-making big screen actor, has died at the age of 63.  He was found in his home and apparently had been battling depression lately.

Williams was known for his comedic and dramatic turns in film - performing in films as diverse as Walt Disney's Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire to Awakenings and What Dreams My Come.  He received best actor Oscar nominations:  Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, and The Fisher King.  He won the best supporting actor Oscar for Good Will Hunting (1997).

Williams was a writer and performer on "The Richard Pryor Show" (1977).  His breakout role was as the alien "Mork" for four seasons on the ABC sitcom, "Mork & Mindy," for which he earned an Emmy nomination.

In addition to his Oscar, Williams won two Emmy Awards and several Golden Globe and Grammy Awards.

Williams is survived by a wife and three children.  Negromancer sends condolences to Mr. Williams' family and friends.  R.I.P. Robin Williams.

LINKS:

From YahooNews:  Matt Damon:  Ben and I owe everything to him (Robin Williams)...

From UPI:  PBS is broadcasting a Robin Williams tribute special.  Williams' "Mork & Mindy" costar, Pam Dawber, will guest star on that special.

From YahooNews:  Actress Mila Kunis shares advice Robin Williams gave her.

From The Washington Post via RSN:  Frenetic, Often Fearless

From YahooMovies:  Other "Genie" voice actor has a tribute to Williams.

From YahooGames:  Nintendo responds to petition to include Robin Williams tribute in Zelda game

From FOXNews:  "Mork and Mindy" star Pam Dawber, other celebs react to the news of Robin Williams' death

From Entertainment Weekly's InsideMovies:  Robin Williams: sober and battling Parkinson's, according to wife

From Today:  Michael J. Fox "stunned" to learn Robin Williams had Parkinson's

From Today:  Robin Williams was struggling with early Parkinson's, wife say.

From Variety:  Police: Robin Williams' Death Due to Hanging

From YahooFinance:  Robin Williams Set Up a 3-Part Trust Fund for His Kids Amid Money Troubles

From YahooSports:  Robin Williams was the first male Denver Broncos cheerleader

From YahooCelebrity:  The Children of Robin Williams Remember Dad

From InContention:  We might have Robin Williams to thank for Jessica Chastain.

From YahooTV:  Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg give the most eloquent reaction to Robin Williams' death.

From Collider:  R.I.P. Robins Williams, Legendary Comic and Actor at 63

From Deadline:  Singular Talent Robin Williams Commits Suicide at Age 63

From EW InsideMovies:  Robin Williams Dead at 63

From The Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo: Robin Williams Died of Suspected Suicide

From Variety:  Robin Williams Found Dead in Possible Suicide

Robin Williams' Wikipedia page is here.
Robin Williams' IMDb page is here.

Review: "Jumanji" Holds Onto its Charms (Happy B'day, Joe Johnston)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 26 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Jumanji (1995)
Running time:  104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG for menacing fantasy action and some mild language
DIRECTOR:  Joe Johnston
WRITERS:  Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain; from a screenstory by Chris Van Allsburg, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain (based upon the book by Chris Van Allsburg)
PRODUCERS:  Scott Kroopf and William Teitler
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Thomas Ackerman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Robert Dalva
COMPOSER:  James Horner

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY with elements of action and comedy

Starring:  Robin Williams, Jonathan Hyde, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, Bonnie Hunt, Bebe Neuwirth, David Alan Grier, Patricia Clarkson, Adam Hann-Byrd, and Laura Bundy

The subject of this movie review is Jumanji, a 1995 fantasy adventure and family film directed by Joe Johnston.  The film is based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children’s picture book, Jumanji, which was first published in 1981 and was written and drawn by author Chris Van Allsburg.  This was the first of three films based on Van Allsburg’s books (as of this updated review).  Jumanji the movie focus on two children who must help a strange man finish playing a magical board game.

In 1969, Alan Parrish (Adam Hann-Byrd) and his friend Sarah Whittle (Laura Bundy) find an old board game, a jungle adventure called Jumanji, in Alan’s attic.  After rolling the dice, Alan somehow unleashes some kind of magical force and is sucked into the board game.  In 1995, two other children, Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter Shepherd (Bradley Pierce) find the cursed board game and play it, unwittingly releasing the man-child, Alan (Robin Williams).

However, the game Alan began 26 years ago must be finished.  Also, from the bowels of Jumanji’s magical board, comes a stampeding horde of jungle creatures and a fearsome huntsman, Hunter Van Pelt (Jonathan Hyde), who has stalked Alan for decades.  Now, Alan joins the adult Sarah (Bonnie Hunt) in a magical adventure to save the town and end the game.

Even back in 1995, the computer generated images (CGI) for the film Jumanji seemed too obviously fake.  Many of the film’s scenes required animals of various sizes (giraffes, elephants, rambunctious monkeys) to run through, run over, and destroy the streets, homes, and buildings of a small township.  Getting that many live animals to cooperate would have been a logistical nightmare and likely impossible, so CGI animals were used.  The artificial animals all have a bluish tint on their bodies, heightening the sense of unreality.  The glitch was perfect; that the animals look so artificial could be taken to imply that the animals are part of a fantastical and magical nightmare.

Otherwise, the film is a fairly well directed and well-acted comic fantasy/adventure.  Robin Williams is, of course, his usual manic self, but this time it’s the franticness of an almost-action hero, rather than that of some attention-seeking clown.  It’s a fun family picture full of inspired zaniness, with very good performances from the entirety of the supporting cast, especially from the young cast.  I’ve seen it several times.  It’s silly, and the script bounces from one scene to another, but I recommend it as an excellent adventure film for the young and young at heart.

6 of 10
B

Updated:  Tuesday, May 13, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"Happy Feet Two" Soundtrack Due in Stores November 22

HAPPY FEET TWO: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK to Be Released November 22

Features New Performances by P!nk, Janelle Monáe, Lil P-Nut, Robin Williams and More

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music will release the HAPPY FEET TWO: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK on November 22nd. The 23-song album features “Bridge Of Light” – a brand new song from P!nk - along with several new versions of familiar hits performed by Janelle Monáe, Lil P-Nut, Robin Williams, Common, and Hank Azaria, among others. It also includes several tracks by Academy® and Grammy Award Nominee John Powell. The soundtrack, over 70 minutes in length, will be available both digitally and on CD.

An extraordinary, never-before-heard medley opens the soundtrack. Featuring vocals by P!nk, Common, Lil P-Nut and the Happy Feet Two Chorus, it is comprised of unique versions of such songs as “Rhythm Nation,” “(Dance And Shout) Shake Your Body Down To The Ground,” “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “Shake It Fast,” “Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better),” and “Do Your Thing.”

HAPPY FEET TWO: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK will be available November 22nd. The track listing is as follows:

Happy Feet Two Opening Medley - P!nk, Common, Lil P-Nut and Happy Feet Two Chorus
The Mighty Sven - Robin Williams, Hank Azaria and Happy Feet Two Chorus
Bridge Of Light - P!nk and Happy Feet Two Chorus
Papa Oom Mow Mow - Happy Feet Two Chorus
Dragostea Din Tei - Hank Azaria and Happy Feet Two Chorus
Erik’s Opera - Omar Crook and EG Daily
Rawhide - Elephant Seal Chorus
Under Pressure / Rhythm Nation - P!nk and Happy Feet Two Chorus
Tightrope (Ice Cold Mix) - Janelle Monáe featuring Lil P-Nut and Happy Feet Two Chorus

In The Hole - John Powell
Ramon And The Krill - John Powell
Lovelace Preshow - (feat. Judith Hill) John Powell
Searching For The Kids - John Powell
The Doomberg Lands - John Powell
I Don’t Back Up - John Powell
Trapped In Emperor Land - John Powell
Skua Attack/Adelie Rescue - John Powell
Dinner A La Sven John Powell
We Are The Champions - John Powell
Snow Stops Play - (featuring Steven Pence) John Powell
No Fly Zone - John Powell
Krill Joy - John Powell
Tappin’ To Freedom - John Powell

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Happy Feet Two,” the sequel to the Oscar®-winning hit, opens nationwide on November 18, 2011. The film is directed by George Miller and features the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Alecia Moore (P!nk), Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara, Common, Hugo Weaving, Richard Carter, Magda Szubanski, Anthony LaPaglia and Benjamin “Lil P-Nut” Flores, Jr.

Review: "Good Will Hunting" Maintains Itself (Happy B'day, Ben Affleck)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 (of 2001) by Leroy Douresseaux

Good Will Hunting (1997)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong language, including some sex-related dialogue
DIRECTOR: Gus Van Zant
WRITERS: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
PRODUCER: Lawrence Bender
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jean Yves Escoffier (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Pietro Scalia
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman
Academy Award winner

DRAMA

Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård, Minnie Driver, Casey Affleck, and Cole Hauser.

Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a charismatic, brilliant young man has spent, or rather wasted, the first 20 years of his life when an MIT math professor discovers Will’s mathematical gifts. When Will is arrested after a street fight, Professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard, Breaking the Waves) takes custody of Will determined to nurture Will’s rare genius so that it is not wasted.

Will runs through a gamut of psychiatrists as part of his court ordered treatment until he meets a grieving, career impaired shrink named Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). Maguire is from Will’s old neighborhood, and he recognizes some of the young man’s difficulties with a society so different from their ‘hood. He tries to reach the young man as Will continually enforces a wall around himself, a wall he has had since childhood to protect himself from a world seemingly always out to hurt him.

Will also meets and falls in love with Skylar (Minnie Driver, Grosse Point Blank), a pretty, young pre-med student, who eventually demands a commitment of love that Will is reluctant to give. If he embraces a new life, Will may have to abandon the impoverished, but familiar life he knows, including his childhood friend, Chuckie (Ben Affleck).

Good Will Hunting is a beautiful, moving story that pulls not too gently on the heartstrings. Affleck and Damon won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay of 1997 for the film’s script. They crafted simple, yet evocative characters for both themselves and the rest of the cast. Hunting is the most complex of the lot, but he isn’t difficult to understand. He’s been hurt, so he lashes out at the world. He’s made a safe little hovel in which he can live, and he doesn’t intend to venture far from it. He knows it and he feels safe in it, only occasionally peeking his head out of his hole to delight people with his brilliance and wit.

Williams’s portrayal of Sean Maguire earned him a long overdue Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Like his Dr. Malcolm Sayer in Awakenings and Parry in the Fisher King, Maguire is a man in pain. You can feel a great building up in the shell, that these men have created for themselves, ready to break out and violently splash the world. In the end, they learn to gradually release their pent up pain and emotion and to reach a sense of balance. The parts that Williams usually take are usually so flamboyant and loud, begging for attention, like Williams himself. When he takes a part like Maguire, he has to control himself, and we can feel, along with him, the struggle to remain in his containment unit. To see him so controlled may have attracted Academy voters to his cause.

Good Will Hunting isn’t a smart movie. Damon and Affleck are occasionally stiff and forced in their parts, and there is still a rough edge to their acting abilities, especially Affleck’s. Driver is good, but the script only allows hints at her personality. Skylar’s one outburst about her troubled past piques the interest, but is gone as suddenly as it came.

Gus Van Zant does a credible job here, but one mostly gets the sense that he was just following a sort of paint by numbers plan. This is more about Damon, Affleck, and Williams than the director. But Van Zant assists them in bringing some tears forward; it’s a empathic, feel sad movie with a tacked on feel good ending. But done well, it’s worth repeated viewings.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
1998 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Robin Williams) and “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck); 7 nominations: “Best Picture” (Lawrence Bender), “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Matt Damon), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Minnie Driver), “Best Director” (Gus Van Sant), “Best Film Editing” (Pietro Scalia), “Best Music, Original Dramatic Score” (Danny Elfman), and “Best Music, Original Song” (Elliott Smith for the song "Miss Misery")

1998 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck); 3 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” (Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Matt Damon), and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Robin Williams)

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Review: Animated "Happy Feet" Tap Dances to Success

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 246 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Happy Feet (2006)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild peril and rude humor
DIRECTOR: George Miller with Warren Coleman and Judy Morris
WRITERS: George Miller, John Collee, Judy Morris, and Warren Coleman
PRODUCERS: Doug Mitchell, George Miller, and Bill Miller
EDITOR: Christian Gazal
SONG: “The Song of the Heart” by Prince
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY
ADVENTURE/ACTION/MUSIC with elements of drama and romance

Starring: (voices) Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Hugo Weaving, Anthony LaPaglia, Johnny A. Sanchez, Carlos Alazraqui, Lombardo Boyar, Jeff Garcia, Steve Irwin, Fat Joe, and E.G. Daily

Happy Feet is the new computer animation feature film from George Miller, the director of two hit movie franchises, Mad Max and Babe. Filled with breathtaking action sequences, impressive tap dancing, and rousing musical numbers, it may be the first computer animated flick that tries to be everything to everyone. Happy Feet’s story is also a bit darker than its “PG” rating would suggest.

Deep in Antarctica, in the land of the Emperor Penguins, a baby penguin named Mumble (E.G. Daily) is born dancing to his own tune – tap dancing. That’s not good; for emperor penguins discover their mates with their Heartsong, which is how Mumble’s parents, his mom Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman) and his dad Memphis (Hugh Jackman, doing a strange Elvis Presley impersonation) met. Mumble can’t sing, and without a Heartsong, he may never find true love.

Later, when he grows up, the adult Mumble (Elijah Wood) still can’t sing, but he’s satisfied with his dancing. Mumble even has one close friend, Gloria (Brittany Murphy), who is the best singer in the land. Although she struggles with what the penguins consider Mumble’s “hippity-hoppity” ways, she has strong feelings for him. Still, that doesn’t keep Noah the Elder (Hugo Weaving), the stern leader of Emperor Land, from banishing Mumble.

Far away from home, Mumble finds himself in the land of the Adelie Penguins, who aren’t nearly as tall as the emperor penguins. Mumble is immediately befriended by the Adelie Posse. Led by gabby Ramon (Robin Williams), the Adelie Posse absorbs Mumble into their group because they’re impressed by Mumble’s tap dancing. With his new friends, Mumble sets out on the epic adventure of lifetime to discover why penguins’ chief food source (fish) is disappearing.

First, the computer animation in Happy Feet is some of the best seen yet, easily rivaling computer animation gold standard, Pixar (Finding Nemo, Cars). The film does have some live action sequences with human actors. The sequences of penguins sliding over ice fields or dodging avalanches, predators (killer whales and seals), and human machinery, are heart stopping, eye-popping, and just simply striking This has to be seen to be believed, because I can’t accurately convey the wonder of what’s on screen.

The story, however, is a jumble of genres, themes, and sub-plots. Happy Feet is an ecological tale about over fishing the penguins feeding grounds. It’s a tale of religious intolerance, dogma, and superstition. Mumble being made an outcast hits on themes of bigotry, discrimination, and narrow-mindedness. The relationship between Mumble and his father Memphis even brings up issues of parental acceptance.

Still, Happy Feet is a fun movie. Between the dizzying action scenes, rousing musical numbers, and the dancing, it’s hard to leave the theatre unhappy. It’s hard to not like that much singing and dancing, especially when the film mixes hit pop songs with modern hip-hop and tap dancing. George Miller used motion capture to record the moves of live dancers, and the penguins were animated over that. Famed American tap dancer Savion Glover provided Mumble’s remarkable and stirring moves.

The voice acting is also notable, especially Elijah Wood as Mumble and Robin Williams doing three roles (Ramon, Lovelace the Guru, and Cletus). While the entire cast is good at bringing the characters to life, Wood simply finds away of standing out as the protagonist, which isn’t necessarily easy; sometimes the voice actor playing the lead character seems lost in the cacophony of the supporting cast (like Brad Pitt in DreamWork’s Sinbad animated flick). Williams’ manic persona is now best suited for voice over work (as it seems tired in live action movies), and his three characters give Happy Feet energy and color.

Happy Feet is fun for the whole family, in spite of its unevenness and how it leaves out crucial details at key moments in the film. The singing, the dancing, and the epic adventure make Happy Feet a happy surprise.

7 of 10
A-

Sunday, December 3, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (George Miller)

2007 BAFTA Awards: “Best Animated Feature Film” (George Miller); 1 nomination: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (John Powell)

2007 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Prince for the song "The Song of the Heart"); 1 nomination: “Best Animated Film”

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Review: Christopher Nolan's "Insomnia" Remake Offers Good Performances

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Insomnia (2002)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – R for language, some violence and brief nudity
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
WRITER: Hilary Seitz (based upon the screenplay by Nikolai Frobenius and Erik Skjoldbjaerg)
PRODUCERS: Broderick Johnson, Paul Junger Witt, Andrew A. Kosove, and Edward L. McDonnell
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Wally Pfister (director of photography)
EDITOR: Dody Dorn

CRIME/THRILLER with elements of drama

Starring: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Martin Donovan, Hilary Swank, Paul Dooley, Nicky Katt, and Maura Tierney

Christopher Nolan, the director of the fantastic Memento, follows his breakthrough masterpiece with Insomnia, a remake of a 1997 Swedish film of the same title. Which is better? One is foreign film, and the other is big budget Hollywood production; although the plot is basically the same, they’re two different films.

Al Pacino is Will Dormer, a famous and an acclaimed homicide investigator with books to his credit. He and his partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) are dispatched to Nightmute, Alaska, a town where the sun doesn’t set during the summer, to investigate the shocking murder of teenage girl. While in pursuit of the killer (Robin Williams), Dormer makes a horrible mistake (which he later learns the killer witnessed) and he compounds his error by covering it up. Suddenly, Dormer engages himself in a terrific juggling act. He has to deal with the killer, a wily fellow. Also, a bright, young detective, Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry), is assigned to investigate the crime scene of Dormer’s “error,” and there are stars in her eyes, as she’s a huge fan of his. Further complicating matters, the lead, local detective, Fred Duggar (Nicky Katt) is a young stud who doesn’t like the big city investigator sniffing around his territory.

Pacino is good, and Robin Williams is very good. The film seems to be about the invasion of the societal demands, influence, power, and roles into the personal space of individuals - what they believe and desire to be their roles, needs, and responsibilities. The constant flood of daylight causes Dormer to lose sleep, and the lack of sleep causes his world to blur. Suddenly, his desire to solve the case is in conflict with his checkered past, with his errors in judgment regarding this case, and with his sense of right and wrong and crime and punishment. Williams plays it quiet; his character’s conceit is his wish to control the outer world the way he controls and manipulates the inner worlds of his creativity. There’s a nice test of wills and battle of sanities between Pacino and Williams' characters that could have been lost in the glare of their star power – credit to Nolan for keeping these bright lights in check.

However, I really liked the supporting roles. Donovan’s Hap Eckhart is a nice counterweight to Pacino’s Dormer; Dormer’s high wattage as a famous investigator simply does not faze Eckhart, a by the book, straight laced cop. Donovan correctly plays the character so that Eckhart immediately reveals the cracks in Dormer’s armor, so we know that Dormer’s not so perfect even if that is the public perception of him. Nicky Katt stares Pacino in the eyes and doesn’t blink; his character Duggar keeps Dormer and check so that when Dormer runs amok, he doesn’t completely control the investigation, even if his activities complicates it.

Hilary Swank is all good. Her character Ellie, in a sense, mirrors the victim, except that she survives her mentor and might become a better policeman for it. Perhaps, she won’t be as famous, but her quality and honesty will likely surpass his. She’s the quiet wild card in this movie, and really, she’s the axis. In a world of shifting realities, half-truths, lies, and masks, she strips away the facades to reveal the bare bone facts.

While not great, Insomnia is better than a lot of hackneyed thrillers. Nolan continues to prove that he is already a great director on the strength of just a few films, and the photography by Wally Pfister (Nolan’s partner in crime on Memento), from the opening panorama to the claustrophobic interiors, is gorgeous and perfectly sets the tone. Besides Nolan’s work, this film is certainly worth seeing for its performances, which include one of Robin Williams’s less manic, but still good, performances.

6 of 10
B

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Review: Walt Disney's "Aladdin" a True Classic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 190 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


Walt Disney’s Aladdin (1992) – animated
Running time: 90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minute)
MPAA – G
PRODUCER/DIRECTORS: Ron Clements and John Musker
WRITERS: Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio and Ron Clements & John Musker; from a story by Ed Gombert, Burny Mattinson, Roger Allers, Daan Jippes, Kevin Harkey, Sue Nichols, Francis Glebas, Darrell Rooney, Larry Leker, James Fujii, Kirk Hanson, Kevin Lima, Rebecca Rees, David S. Smith, Chris Sanders, Brian Pimental, and Patrick A. Ventura
EDITOR: H. Lee Peterson
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY and FAMILY/MUSICAL/ROMANCE

Starring: (voices) Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Lavin, Jonathan Freeman, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seale, Frank Welker, Bruce Adler, Brad Kane, Lea Solanga, and Jim Cummings

Resourceful “street rat,” Aladdin (Scott Weinger) makes his living on the streets of Agrabah as a thief, ably assisted by his constant companion, a spunky monkey named Abu (Frank Welker). One day his eyes catch the sight of a beautiful young woman, whom he later rescues from an overzealous fruit vendor. Aladdin learns that she is Jasmine (Linda Lavin), the daughter of the Sultan of Agrabah (Douglas Seale), and she is walking the streets of Agrabah in disguise just to experience life outside the Sultan’s palace. Aladdin falls in love with Jasmine, but believes that he must be a prince to win her heart.

Later, Aladdin goes on a mission for another resident of the palace in disguise, Grand Vizier Jafar (Jonathan Freeman), the Sultan’s advisor. It is then that Aladdin comes into possession of a magical lamp. When Aladdin rubs the lamp, out springs the show-stealing Genie (Robin Williams). Genie takes a liking to his new master and uses his magical powers to help Aladdin get closer to Jasmine by disguising him the wealthy Prince Ali Ababwa. However, Aladdin must learn to be himself if he’s going to earn the love of the independent-minded Jasmine, and he’ll need all his smarts to stop the diabolical Jafar and his scheming parrot, Iago (Gilbert Gottfried), from overthrowing the Sultan to become rulers of Agrabah.

In 1989, Walt Disney Feature Animation began a second golden age of Disney feature-length animated films with The Little Mermaid. Almost with each successive film, the box office take grew – Beauty and the Beast in 1991 and Aladdin in 1992 (while the underrated The Rescuers Down Under floundered in 1990), peaking in 1994 with The Lion King, which at the time set a record for box office gross by an animated flick. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin are quasi musicals, a sort of “lite” version of a Broadway musical. Of the trio, the most comic is Aladdin.

In some ways, however, Aladdin is old school. The filmmakers and the Disney story department created lively characters with strong personalities and provided each one with sketch comic scenes that helped to endear him or her to the audience. The character animation is superb, and the characters move with fluidity and grace. The animators also provided visual quirks and clever visual gags that further defined each character – the best, of course, being Robin Williams’ Genie. While the other characters are certainly good (Jafar and Iago and Aladdin’s Magic Carpet stand out to me), Williams steals scenes without coming across as a scene hog, and his non-stop antics and transformations make Aladdin such a special movie. Genie was and remains the character that best fits Williams’ manic comic personality, and it’s not William’s effort alone. Genie is a creation of both William’s work as a voice actor and the drawing skills of large group of animators.

When a movie has Williams’ comical madness and Alan Menken’s evocative score and the songs Menken co-wrote with lyricists Tim Rice and Howard Ashman (a frequent partner of Menken’s who died over a year before Aladdin premiered), it has the potential to be a great film. Add in a cast of wonderful and charming characters, a simple, straight forward romance filled with magic and magical creatures, and two deliciously bad, bad guys, and you have a Disney classic.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
1993 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Music, Original Score” (Alan Menken) and “Best Music, Original Song” (Alan Menken-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "A Whole New World"); 3 nominations: “Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing” (Mark A. Mangini) “Best Music, Original Song” (Alan Menken-music and Howard Ashman-lyrics for the song "Friend Like Me"), and “Best Sound” Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe, David J. Hudson, and Doc Kane)

1994 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “BAFTA Film Award Best Score” (Alan Menken) and “Best Special Effects” (Don Paul and Steve Goldberg)

1993 Golden Globes:  3 wins “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Alan Menken), “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Alan Menken-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "A Whole New World"), and “Special Award” (Robin Williams for his vocal work); and 3 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical,” “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Alan Menken-music and Howard Ashman-lyrics for the song “Friend Like Me”), and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Alan Menken-music and Howard Ashman-lyrics for the song "Prince Ali")

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Review: "Night at the Museum" Proves that Mediocre Can Still Be Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 256 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Night at the Museum (2006)
Running time: 109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild action, language, and brief rude humor
DIRECTOR: Shawn Levy
WRITERS: Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon; from their screen story based upon the novel by Milan Trenc
PRODUCERS: Chris Columbus, Shawn Levy, and Michael Barnathan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro
EDITOR: Don Zimmerman

FANTASY/COMEDY

Starring: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Jake Cherry, Ricky Gervais, Robin Williams, Kim Raver, Steve Coogan, Mizuo Peck, Rami Malek, Charlie Murphy, Paul Rudd, Patrick Gallagher, and Owen Wilson

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is a good-hearted dreamer who thinks he’s destined for something big, but his lack of a steady job means he’s always being evicted from his apartment. He’s also a divorced father with a 10-year old son, Nick (Jake Cherry). His ex-wife, Erica (Kim Raver), delivers an ultimatum: Nick can’t stay with Larry until Larry has a stable living situation. Nick certainly has that with Erica, an attorney, and her new husband, Don (Paul Rudd), a bond trader, and Nick admires Don, which bothers Larry a little.

Larry eventually gets a job as a night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, where an extraordinary thing happens when the sun goes down. At night, all the exhibits come to life. Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their dioramas to battle one another. African mammals, cavemen, and even Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) roam the halls of the museum at night. The one exhibit Larry can turn to for advice is a wax statue of President Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), that comes alive on his black stallion and helps Larry get the denizens of the museum under control.

The magical happenings at the museum come with one stipulation – nothing must enter or leave the museum at night. Still, something does go wrong. Larry has to stop a nefarious plot in order to save the museum and its inhabitants and maybe prove himself in his son’s eyes.

Night at the Museum is one of those films that work best during the feel good Christmas holidays. Warm and fuzzy, this family flick is chock full of magic and a sense of wonder. It also looks and acts like the mid-90’s CGI creature rampage movie, Jumanji, and some of the CGI and special effects look dated. The writers over-emphasize Larry’s quest to be a good dad, and some of the humor is forced. The writers make the women in the movie stock characters, and they’re little more than accessories to make male characters feel better about themselves.

Director Shawn Levy does give the film the same kind of frothy fun he did with the 2003 holiday hit, Cheaper by the Dozen. Night fairly hums with mystery and enchantment, thanks in no small part to Levy’s creative team. Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, whose specialty is fantasy and supernatural films (From Dusk Till Dawn) and even family films (Stuart Little and Spy Kids) creates a look for the movie that is a sweet mix of charmed sepia and gooey warmth. Costume designer Renée April does work worthy of Oscar notice with a variety of costumes that span the history of human clothing, and Alan Silvestri’s score hits all the right notes in creating an atmosphere of action, adventure, magic, and mystery.

Ben Stiller tends to play characters that are edgy, smart-mouthed and sometimes annoying, but his Larry Daley is a good guy. He’s more genial than jerk, and Stiller has a nice way of making Daley’s smarty attitude always bubble under the surface without ever coming up. Jake Cherry makes a lovable son, and Robin Williams is subdued.

In spite of its faults and missteps, Night at the Museum is just that kind of movie that can turn an adult who isn’t too jaded into a kid wide-eyed at the wonder and magic of what is essentially an entertaining and amusing children’s movie.

5 of 10

B-

Sunday, December 24, 2006

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