11/15/05
Edition
Four
For The Holidays
Warner's POLAR EXPRESS and CHARLIE
debut on disc
plus: BUENA VISTA round up,
MILLIONS, and a KRANKy Christmas!
Christmas may be well over a month away but -- as you’ve
undoubtedly noticed -- holiday decor is quickly set up in stores
seemingly as soon as the clock strikes Midnight on November 1st.
Likewise, the extensive barrage of holiday DVDs begins in earnest
several weeks ahead of time, and this week The Aisle Seat presents its
first of several wrap-ups of yuletide fare, spotlighting four varied
tales suitable for the season.
On November 22nd, Warner releases the elaborate, candy-coated Robert
Zemeckis adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s book THE POLAR EXPRESS.
Centering on the recollections of a young boy just old enough to have
his doubts about the existence of Santa Claus, “The Polar
Express” offers Tom Hanks playing no less than five different
“roles”: the boy, his father, the conductor of a magical
train that transports our young hero to the North Pole, a ghostly hobo
who rides on top of it, and Santa himself. While at the North Pole, our
nameless protagonist (dubbed “Hero Boy”) -- along with the
other children onboard the Polar Express -- learn something about the
true meaning of Christmas and the ability to believe.
Meticulously designed with the most capable CGI available today,
“The Polar Express” is a strange film: a warm-hearted
holiday fantasy with creepy, half-human/half-animated performances set
against a fully animated cinematic world, and a story that would have
been more effective as a half-hour TV special as opposed to a
100-minute theatrical feature.
The latter is unsurprising, since Van Allsburg’s beloved
children’s book is only a few dozen pages, and screenwriters
Zemeckis and William Broyles, Jr. had to artificially lengthen the
material for the big screen. Still, what’s disappointing is the
manner in which the filmmakers expand the story: after a strong start,
the journey to the North Pole feels endless, with saccharine Alan
Silvestri-Glen Ballard songs, an out-of-place Steven Tyler performance
near the end, uninteresting side characters, and a succession of
“action” sequences that do, admittedly, show off the
film’s amazing visuals.
Speaking of the latter, though, I kept on wondering what “The
Polar Express” might have been like had Zemeckis simply shot the
film with real human beings instead of the “performance
capture” figures he ultimately utilized. Similar to how video
games attempt to convey actual human movement, Zemeckis had Hanks and
other performers act out the characters in front of a green screen.
Later, a collection of CGI artists digitally animated them, working
from the actors’ references but adding some of their own ideas
into the final product.
The result is an odd viewing experience: there are times, yes, when you
truly believe it’s Tom Hanks acting out a part, but others when
the actions of the juvenile protagonist feel off-balance. While
Hanks’ conductor and hobo characters work well enough, the
“Hero Boy” movements and expressions are often awkward and
take too long to register, and as a result, you become aware that what
you’re watching isn’t “real.” Even as a sucker
for holiday movies, the uncomfortable melding of genuine human
performance and digital CGI made me detached from the film and its
message: I seldom felt emotionally engaged in what was happening, and
the ending in particular left me cold.
Ultimately, despite all the good intentions and the evocative visual
design of the film (its characters notwithstanding), “The Polar
Express” isn’t the perennial classic one might have hoped.
I kept on thinking that the movie would have worked better either as a
live-action fantasy (or at least with live, real actors set against the
CGI backdrops), or a fully animated work, where animators could have
used their own imaginations instead of having to adhere (at least
partially) to the human “captured” performances. Instead,
the picture exists somewhere in the netherworld between the two -- a
fusion that may, in fact, date the picture badly for future generations.
Warner’s double-disc Special Edition DVD, available in time for
Thanksgiving, does boast a gorgeous 2.35 widescreen transfer
that’s every bit as colorful and clean as one might anticipate
from an expensive digital project like this. The 5.1 Dolby Digital
sound is a bit more restrained than you might anticipate, displaying
Silvestri’s overly sentimental score and likewise saccharine
songs, including a forgettable Josh Groban ballad performed over the
end credits.
Special features on the second disc are interesting but geared towards
kids, including numerous featurettes that skim the surface of the
film’s production: “The Many Polar Faces of Tom
Hanks” offers a cute, quick look at Hanks’ involvement in
the film; “True Inspirations: An Author’s Adventure”
spotlights Chris Van Allsburg; “A Genuine Ticket To Ride”
includes a basic overview of the picture’s fascinating effects
work; “”Behind The Scenes of ‘Believe’”
examines the production of Josh Groban’s ballad, with a live
performance of the song from the Greek Theatre also-on hand;
“Meet the Snow Angels” is comprised of short memories from
the creative team of their holiday celebrations; plus there are the
usual games, including a pair of playable levels from the THQ video
game, also available. (**½, 100 mins., 2005, G, Warner).
More magic is on-hand in Tim Burton’s CHARLIE AND THE
CHOCOLATE FACTORY (***½, 115 mins., 2005, PG; Warner), a
wonderful new adaptation of the Roald Dahl book. Despite some
unappealing preliminary trailers, Burton’s take on the material
is funny, inventive, colorful, fascinating visually, and filled with
eccentric and equally delightful performances.
Johnny Depp once again shows why there is no better actor of his age --
of the range of performances he’s tackled over the years, his
crazed chocolate entrepreneur is another bold new creation and a far
cry from Gene Wilder’s frazzled Wonka. With a heartbreaking
relationship with his estranged father (Christopher Lee) to blame for
his isolated existence, this Wonka comes across as a little boy tutored
in growing up by the valiant Charlie (the terrific Freddie Highmore,
who worked with Depp in last year’s superb “Finding
Neverland”).
The John August script adheres more closely to Dahl than the ‘70s
perennial, but the charm is in Burton’s imaginative visual
trappings. From Alex McDowell’s sets to Philippe
Rousselot’s cinematography, this is a captivating aesthetic
experience, and Burton’s twists on the material -- particularly
having Deep Roy portray all the Oompa-Loompas -- are fresh enough that
one can forget all about Anthony Newley’s songs and the
comparatively plastic design of the original “Willy Wonka,”
while still embracing the same core story.
Just as impressive is the music: Danny Elfman's score is one of his
most inspired and effective works in years. His songs -- written to
lyrics culled directly from Dahl’s text -- encompass a wide
variety of genres, while his use of electronics is wickedly
entertaining, no more so than in the striking opening credits.
Needless to say, all of it goes down sweeter than one of Wonka's
candies, and the cherry on top is the heartfelt narration performed by
Geoffrey Holder. Highly, highly recommended!
Warner’s two-disc DVD offers up a sensational 1.85 widescreen
transfer of the movie with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Extras include the
trailer on disc one, and a second disc’s worth of supplements,
including a multi-part documentary on the creation of the film.
Segments involving Danny Elfman and Deep Roy are on-hand, while
additional featurettes include a superb, 17-minute BBC profile of the
late Roald Dahl; a look at the training of wild squirrels for one of
the picture’s more memorable sequences; a few interactive games
and more. The supplements aren’t exhaustive but are a good deal
more interesting than those on “The Polar Express,” as is
the movie itself.
Filmmaker Chris Columbus is no stranger to cinematic portrayals of
Christmas, having penned “Home Alone” and been involved in
the production of numerous films that have opened around or centered on
the holidays (“Gremlins,” the first two “Harry
Potter” films, etc.).
Though Columbus struck gold with those offerings, his streak ran out as
the writer and producer of last year’s CHRISTMAS WITH THE
KRANKS (** , 99 mins., PG; Sony), a desperate attempt at
creating a manic holiday comedy a la the far, far superior
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
This adaptation of John Grisham’s “Skipping
Christmas” (the movie was re-titled to avoid confusion with the
Ben Affleck bomb “Surviving Christmas”) stars Tim Allen and
Jamie Lee Curtis as an everyday married couple whose daughter opts to
not return home for the holidays. Faced with celebrating the season
without their little girl, Allen and Curtis decide to not engage in
holiday mirth and merriment at all -- a decision that doesn’t sit
well with their “only in the movies” neighborhood,
including Dan Aykroyd as a particularly obnoxious boob and M. Emmet
Walsh as the crotchety old guy who lives across the street. Once Allen
and Curtis’ daughter DOES decide to come home for Christmas,
would-be shenanigans ensue as the town rallies behind the Kranks and
helps them embrace the jollies as quickly as possible.
Relentlessly well-intentioned, “Christmas With The Kranks”
is the kind of suburban fare made by people who don’t have the
slightest clue about suburbia or the true meaning of Christmas itself
(the Christmas portrayed in this film is a typical Hollywood
consumerist view -- never once does the film bat an eye at the
religious or even spiritual implications of what the day means). The
portrayal of the Kranks and their neighbors is so incredibly
single-minded that it feels like the whole project was conceived like
an average CBS sitcom: laughs are nowhere to be found, the narrative
situations forced, and there’s no edge to any aspect of the film
at all. Perhaps in wanting to create a “PG” safe family
comedy, director Joe Roth (working from Columbus’ script) opted
to take away any sort of satiric component to the picture (the kind
that gave John Hughes’ perennial “Christmas Vacation”
an enduring vitality), resulting in a tedious, tired affair
that’s almost shocking in how vanilla every component of the film
turns out to be.
Sony’s DVD edition offers both 2.40 widescreen and 1.33
full-screen transfers. Cinematographer Don Burgess and Roth shot the
film in legitimate widescreen, meaning the 1.33 full-screen transfer is
cropped and unwatchable. John Debney’s pleasant score tries to
add some warmth to the preceding (the 5.1 track is satisfying), but the
movie isn’t nearly worthy enough of a place on your annual
holiday viewing list (incredibly, the film still managed to gross $73
million domestically, proving the holiday theme generally results in
sales, regardless of how vapid a film actually is). No extras are
included on the disc.
Lastly among the new holiday offerings is MILLIONS (***, 98
mins., PG; Fox), British filmmaker Danny Boyle’s offbeat,
winning import that won acclaim (but much in the way of domestic
box-office) last year.
Alex Etel plays Damian, a precocious seven-year-old with
a single dad (James Nesbitt) and a not entirely understanding older
brother (Lewis McGibbon), who move into a new neighborhood after the
death of their mother. Damian not only has conversations with some of
the more unusual saints of recorded history but also -- while playing
one day outside his home -- comes across a heap of cash thrown off a
passing train.
Damian informs his brother of the miraculous discovery, and the two
begin to spend the cash in any way imaginable -- Damian erring on the
side of helping others, his brother using it to essentially buy
popularity with his new schoolmates. The problems with their endless
supply of money are two-fold: first, the British government is about to
convert their currency to the Euro, making the money only valid for a
few more days before Christmas; and more importantly, a mysterious man
concerned with the loot’s whereabouts shows up, threatening
Damian and wanting it back.
Frank Cottrell Boyce’s script alternates between fanciful
passages of childhood exuberance and a strong message about the nature
of money and human failings associated with it. Damian constantly wants
to do the right thing but is often let down by those around him, even
the people he loves most. Boyle’s direction, meanwhile, gives the
material the perfect edge, refraining from the saccharine melodrama of
most children’s fare and augmenting the serious, dramatic twists
and turns of the story with the same style he brought to
“Trainspotting” and “28 Days Later.”
The result is an uplifting but quirky tale with a holiday theme,
recommended for adults and older children (parents ought to be aware
that the PG-rated film does have a few intense confrontations between
Damian and the stranger that may make it unsuitable for young kids)
Fox’s DVD presentation offers an interesting commentary with
Boyle and Boyce, several deleted scenes and the requisite
behind-the-scenes featurettes. The 1.85 transfer is exceptional and the
5.1 Dolby Digital sound impressively layered with an infectious John
Murphy score and a litany of upbeat rock tracks (save for the
heavy-handed use of Vangelis’ “La Petite Fille de la
Mer” in one sequence).
New Holiday Offerings
From Buena Vista
Disney Channel
Holiday (113 mins., G): Holiday-themed episodes from five Disney
Channel series: “That’s So Raven,” “Lizzie
McGuire,” “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,”
“Even Stevens,” and the animated “Kim
Possible.” There’s also a bonus, never-before-seen episode
from “Phil of the Future” and a fan_3 music video.
Transfers are in full-screen and all episodes offer 2.0 Dolby Digital
surround.
Disney
Princess: A Christmas of Enchantment (63 mins., G): This latest
“Disney Princess” DVD once again offers an oddly assembled
mix of older Disney animated shorts (or fragments from Disney Channel
TV series) with newly assembled computer-rendered introductions linking
the sections together. Still, undemanding young girls likely
won’t know the difference, and the DVD comes complete with a
“Virtual Snowglobe Maker, DVD-ROM screensaver, and 5.1 Dolby
Digital sound.
A Very Playhouse Disney Holiday (56 mins., G):
Three episodes from the popular daytime Disney Channel series
“Jojo’s Circus,” “Shanna’s Show,”
and “Higglytown Heroes,” plus an interactive game ideal for
the wee ones this DVD is aimed at.
The 3 Wise Men
[Los Reyes Magos] (76 mins., G): Strange, Spanish-produced
animated feature attempts to place the story of Melchior, Gaspar, and
Balthazar in a context (complete with a modern framing story) that will
appeal to contemporary youth. Thus, we have action sequences mixed into
the usual biblical tale of the Three Wise Men. The result is odd but
may appeal to some children regardless, with Disney’s DVD
offering a pleasant 1.78 widescreen transfer (16:9 enhanced) with 5.1
Dolby Digital sound. Both an English language track (including the
likes of Martin Sheen and son Emilio Estevez) and the original Spanish
dialogue are on-hand, though no Spanish subtitles are available for
those who’d prefer to watch the original Spanish theatrical
release. Note: this DVD is, for the time being, only available at
Walmart locations around the nation.
Disney Box Sets: TV and
More
Five Mile
Creek: Complete First Season (1983-84, 620 mins.): Very popular
Australian series (which aired in the early days of the Disney Channel)
followed the adventures of young settlers in the Australian Gold Rush
era of the 1860s, and in its later days, counted Nicole Kidman as one
of its early stars. Disney’s box set includes the initial 13
episodes of “Five Mile Creek” in decent full-screen
transfers and mono sound. Extras aren’t on-hand but because so
many die-hard fans have restlessly scoured Ebay over the years for
episodes, most will be happy this four-disc DVD box set is available to
begin with. Recommended!
Tales From
Avonlea: Complete Season One (1989-90, 590 mins.): Sarah Polley
starred in this long-running co-production between The Disney Channel
and Canadian TV, an off-shoot of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s
“Anne of Green Gables” books. Produced by the same folks
behind the acclaimed “Anne” TV adaptations, this three-disc
set includes all 13 first-season episodes of “Tales From
Avonlea” in satisfying full-screen transfers and 2.0 Dolby stereo
sound. Viewers should note that the transfers are markedly superior to
the DVD versions of “Anne of Green Gables” that producer
Kevin Sullivan independently produced several years ago.
The Golden Girls: Complete
Third Season (1987-88, 614 mins.)
Home
Improvement: Complete Third Season (1993-94, 611 mins.): The
long-running “Golden Girls” and “Home
Improvement” series both return for their third go-around on DVD.
Season three of “The Golden Girls” (an NBC staple on
Saturday nights) offers 25 episodes that really brought the show into
its prime. Buena Vista’s three-disc DVD box offers a pair of
extras this time as well: “Golden Moments” includes the
girls reminiscing about their favorite moments (an original episode
exclusive to this set), while more of the same can be found in
“The Golden Girls’ Scrapbook.” Pamela Anderson,
meanwhile, may have no longer been on the set for the third season of
“Home Improvement,” yet Tim Allen’s show remained
near the top of the ratings in ‘93, with Buena Vista’s set
featuring the series’ 25 third-season episodes with an extra
feature hosted by Pam’s “Tool Time” fill-in Debbe
Duning. Transfers of the unexpurgated, broadcast length shows are all
just fine, as are the Dolby Digital surround soundtracks.
Scrubs:
Complete Second Season (2002-03, 479 mins.): J.D. and the gang
are back in this second go-round for the acclaimed, well-received, but
not always well-treated series “Scrubs.” Despite a superb
ensemble cast, consistently fine writing that bridges the gap between
comedy and drama, and widespread critical acclaim, NBC continues to
handle the show like a misbegotten relative. It’s unfortunate as
well, because “Scrubs” is great fun and always
entertaining, and now on DVD can land viewers who might have missed it
the first time around. Buena Vista’s three-disc set includes the
22 second season episodes in full-screen transfers and Dolby Digital
sound, and adds a few supplements into the fray for good measure: an
interview with the brilliant John C. McGinley, a featurette named
“Music Stylings” that looks at the creation of the
series’ soundtracks (the episodes are once again uncut with
original songs intact), deleted scenes and outtakes, and other goodies
fans should enjoy.
Disney’s Ducktales, Volume 1 (1987, 618 mins.)
Disney’s
Chip ‘N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers, Volume 1 (1989, 614 mins.):
Disney entered the realm of syndicated animation with these two
entertaining, late ‘80s series. “Ducktales”
chronicles the exploits of Scrooge McDuck, who recruits nephews Huey,
Dewey, and Louie to join him on a series of adventures throughout the
globe and criss-crossing time itself. The later “Rescue
Rangers” (often paired with “Ducktales” in weekday
afternoon broadcast blocks) sports Chip ‘N Dale as a hard-working
pair of heroes in (mostly) more Earthbound adventures. Both three-disc
sets include 27 episodes each from the successful series, which kids
have continued to enjoy on Disney Channel airings over the years.
Old Yeller:
2-Movie Collection: Affordably priced, two-disc set couples the
1957 Disney classic “Old Yeller” with its lesser-known 1963
follow-up “Savage Sam,” each starring Tommy Kirk. Transfers
and sound are identical to each respective film’s previous DVD
edition, meaning a good-looking 16:9 transfer for “Old
Yeller” and a plain, full-screen presentation for “Savage
Sam.” Various featurettes from “Vault Disney” are
included on the disc’s second platter, basically reprising the
contents of the previous “Old Yeller” deluxe two-disc DVD.
Recommended heartily for family viewing, the depressing finale of
“Old Yeller” aside!
Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition (385 mins.): Popular Sunday night ABC
series hits DVD in this satisfying double-disc set. Those who enjoy the
series will find plenty of material to savor here, including some 380+
minutes of content, spotlighting the highlights of the show’s
first season. Bonus features take you behind the scenes to see how the
show is produced, while bloopers, outtakes and other goodies are also
on-hand for those who may just shed an extra tear or two (not me
personally, though I know of others who do weep weekly at the show!).
Also New on DVD
STEALTH (*½, 2005). 121 mins., PG-13, Sony. DVD
SPECIAL FEATURES: Making Of documentary; Scene deconstruction; Music
Featurette; Two Multi-Angle Scene Breakdowns; 2.35 Widescreen, 5.1 DTS
and Dolby Digital sound.
Director Rob Cohen has filmed some entertaining pictures over the
years, but his flop from last summer -- “Stealth” -- ranks
as a turkey as large as one might be consuming with family and friends
next week.
Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel (so far the kiss of box-office failure) and
Jamie Foxx (cashing in his Oscar check with a “Dead Man
Walking” supporting turn) play elite Navy pilots recruited by
boss Sam Shepard to fly the newest rig: a super-charged stealth fighter
that has a mind of its own...so much so that, once it shorts out,
we’re talking the development of HAL-like symptoms, with
“Blue Thunder”-like power to match.
Writer W.D. Richter’s credits include cult classics like
“Buckaroo Banzai” and the James Caan gem
“Slither” (any DVD upcoming of that one?), but his silly
script for “Stealth” is matched only by director
Cohen’s distracting editing. Looks like the director has been
spending too much time in the Michael Bay Academy of ADD Cutting, since
no more than a handful of seconds go by at any one time in
“Stealth” before a cut happens...followed by another...then
another...then another.
The images alone aren’t particularly appealing, and they give the
drama all the depth of a coming attractions trailer. As it turns out,
121 minutes of “Stealth” is 119 too many, with the
movie’s “Rambo”-like plot twist near the end (Biel
gets trapped behind enemy lines) nearly as absurd as the film’s
early “bonding” scenes of Biel in a bikini, chucking the
finger at pals Lucas (who comes across as a second-string Matthew
McConaughey) and Foxx (perhaps the wisest man associated with the
project -- he’s outta there before the first hour is up...and if
you didn’t know that already, perhaps his third billing behind
Biel was a good indicator!).
Sony’s two-disc DVD set rolls out the red carpet treatment at
least: the 2.35 transfer is exceptional and the 5.1 DTS and Dolby
Digital sound of “reference quality,” provided you can take
the throbbing bass and non-stop, over-the-top score from BT.
Perhaps more entertaining for viewers will be the disc’s
assortment of documentary materials on the second disc. Cohen is one of
the more articulate filmmakers when it comes to laserdisc/DVD
supplements and here provides numerous insights into the process of
making “Stealth.” The film may have been a bomb but Cohen
sincerely believes in what he’s doing, even if you have to giggle
at his hiring of the band Incubus mainly for their “political
awareness.”
In addition to several multi-angle features and a solid basic
documentary on the picture’s Australian production, there’s
a rather lengthy examination of the movie’s soundtrack. The near
half-hour featurette includes comments from Cohen and BT, talking about
the score’s fusion of “Korngold, Zimmer and
electronics,” as well as Cohen’s utilization of Incubus and
David Bowie on the soundtrack.
NEXT TIME: A Thanksgiving Feast
with LOVE AT STAKE, The HAROLD LLOYD COMEDY COLLECTION, and More!
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