Spaghetti Kitchen: Year VII - The Reviews Awaken

[Ezen Baklattan]

 

In the Doghouse

 

Spoiler

First off, let me apologize to @MCKillswitch123 for not getting the chance to provide proper feedback on the film in Part 1. I take full responsibility for that. Now with that...

 

As I began to read the film for real, I was not aware the film was based on a telenovela, and knowing the sensibilities of David Fincher, I wasn't fully sure if the combination was going to mesh. However, as a pure domestic thriller, Fincher seemed to be well in his wheelhouse enough. Ultimately, the film passes, but you can tell that there's a lot of pushback in both sides, namely Fincher's calculated and laser focused storytelling versus the rocky and empassionate storytelling of soap operas.

 

The plotting itself feels somewhat melodramatic in a way that Fincher doesn't necessarily excel at. The serious delivery of a few over the top lines had me wondering if the film was secretly a pitch black comedy, but the film seems to play a lot of it too straight. This is not to say that the dialogue has unintentional humor, but that the style and tone that they suggest don't really mesh with what I believe Fincher is trying to do. As the web of plot twists and unexpected relations emerges, each twist feels a bit less powerful than the last due to the dramatic nature of it all, while a lot of the cards that get played feel a touch too easy to predict.

 

That all being said, I still quite enjoyed myself. The cast utterly embraces their characters from the more calculated and meticulous moments to the more passionate, extreme fighting, the standout very much being Florence Pugh, giving another performance that combines understated with overt brilliance. Davis is fun in a somewhat scenery chewing role, and everyone else hits the right notes. They make it a fun time to watch, along with a script that has a couple great lines (albeit a few awkward ones).

 

@MCKillswitch123 may be new to CAYOM, but I think that if they focus a bit more on building towards a consistent, unified tone while sharpening their dialogue skills, I think they have the makings to be a great contributor to CAYOM.

 

7.2/10

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Spaghetti

[Ezen Baklattan]

 

Toons v. Reality

 

(contains spoilers)

 

Spoiler

Through six years of films, Endless Animation has proven itself as an expert in the field of wacky comedy, themes of self acceptance and encouragement, and unique visual flair, from blended styles to unique designs. In many ways, Toons v. Reality is Endless sticking with what it knows, but when its strength in those fields speaks for itself, you can tell that you're in great hands for a lively and brilliantly good time, if all the pieces fit together, of course.

 

First off...I will make one remark: It was a touch weird to have the "live action" characters still be represented by animation. Of course, we could see a situation where it feels like a ripoff of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it doesnt quite have the same stylistic flourish as, say, Into the Spider-Verse to completely save it from even slight distraction. That said, it's easy to adjust to as time goes on, and it ultimately works with the different styles of animation we see on display in the film. (It also does get a pretty fun twist at the very end of the film, though.)

 

Of course, the story is what really matters here, and does it measure up?

 

The setup itself is encouraging, with the toons tired of being taken advantage of by greedy capitalists, while an idealistic young lawyer sees this as a chance to fight for justice, advance her career, and maybe even find some true love. (Is this another installment of the animated "lesbian and wacky rodent adventures" subgenre CAYOM is building?) I'm glad the film takes the route of cartoons being screwed over and not just focusing on a few old cartoons bitter about their lost fame, which was an angle I feared going on. The plot does go towards a more derivative action towards the climax with the toon imprisonment, even if it's still pretty enjoyable. There's a bit of an "eat the rich!" vibe from the final stretch which I enjoyed a bit, heh.

 

However, it's the characters and relationships that make this film a blast. Olivia Cooke shines once again in an everyman role as an unlikely activist hero (who thankfully gets a much happier ending here than in By The Balls), but John Mulaney as Randy the Raccoon utterly steals the movie 100% of the way, somewhat recalling Robin Williams in Aladdin in a big way. Every moment he's on screen is one of pure, unadulterated delight. All of the other toons were a joy to watch, especially in being played by actual voice actors rather than a few cherry picked celebrities. Amira's arc is okay, giving a bit more of an emotional core to the film, but this character is something I feel like we've seen done better in other films and stories.

 

Aside from a few slightly weak plot beats, this is @YourMother the Edgelord doing what he does best and letting us all have a blast in the process of it. Joyous, witty, imaginative, and deeply entertaining, it offers a lot you can only find in a CAYOM film, and it's something that audiences of all ages are going to fall in love with. Kids might be bored with some of the courtroom affairs, but my point stands. Endless Animation has just created one of their finest works to date.

 

8.9/10

 

[YM!]

7 minutes ago, Spaghetti said:

 

Toons v. Reality

 

(contains spoilers)

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Through six years of films, Endless Animation has proven itself as an expert in the field of wacky comedy, themes of self acceptance and encouragement, and unique visual flair, from blended styles to unique designs. In many ways, Toons v. Reality is Endless sticking with what it knows, but when its strength in those fields speaks for itself, you can tell that you're in great hands for a lively and brilliantly good time, if all the pieces fit together, of course.

 

First off...I will make one remark: It was a touch weird to have the "live action" characters still be represented by animation. Of course, we could see a situation where it feels like a ripoff of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it doesnt quite have the same stylistic flourish as, say, Into the Spider-Verse to completely save it from even slight distraction. That said, it's easy to adjust to as time goes on, and it ultimately works with the different styles of animation we see on display in the film. (It also does get a pretty fun twist at the very end of the film, though.)

 

Of course, the story is what really matters here, and does it measure up?

 

The setup itself is encouraging, with the toons tired of being taken advantage of by greedy capitalists, while an idealistic young lawyer sees this as a chance to fight for justice, advance her career, and maybe even find some true love. (Is this another installment of the animated "lesbian and wacky rodent adventures" subgenre CAYOM is building?) I'm glad the film takes the route of cartoons being screwed over and not just focusing on a few old cartoons bitter about their lost fame, which was an angle I feared going on. The plot does go towards a more derivative action towards the climax with the toon imprisonment, even if it's still pretty enjoyable. There's a bit of an "eat the rich!" vibe from the final stretch which I enjoyed a bit, heh.

 

However, it's the characters and relationships that make this film a blast. Olivia Cooke shines once again in an everyman role as an unlikely activist hero (who thankfully gets a much happier ending here than in By The Balls), but John Mulaney as Randy the Raccoon utterly steals the movie 100% of the way, somewhat recalling Robin Williams in Aladdin in a big way. Every moment he's on screen is one of pure, unadulterated delight. All of the other toons were a joy to watch, especially in being played by actual voice actors rather than a few cherry picked celebrities. Amira's arc is okay, giving a bit more of an emotional core to the film, but this character is something I feel like we've seen done better in other films and stories.

 

Aside from a few slightly weak plot beats, this is @YourMother the Edgelord doing what he does best and letting us all have a blast in the process of it. Joyous, witty, imaginative, and deeply entertaining, it offers a lot you can only find in a CAYOM film, and it's something that audiences of all ages are going to fall in love with. Kids might be bored with some of the courtroom affairs, but my point stands. Endless Animation has just created one of their finest works to date.

 

8.9/10

 

Thanks so much for the rave. Out of curiosity, is it possible you can give me a ranking of my animation?

[Ezen Baklattan]

 

Birdwing

 

(contains spoilers)

 

Spoiler

Well that prologue would have been one hell of a movie on its own.

 

Anyway, it doesn't take long for critics to realize that this film is very much @Blankments trying his riff on the beloved musicals of Disney, and to a lesser extend, RySenarki's Gemini Animation Films. That's probably a reference not many of you are going to get, but there's some stuff in the early years of 2.0. But I digress.

 

Following Ardwin's quest to end the uncertain curse that has seemingly caused much distress to himself and his family in leading the kingdom, he finally seeks to become a human once and for all. However, he realizes that the very thing he tried to suppress might be a true part of who he is, and what he wants to be. Of course, you can potentially draw a huge LGBTQ+ metaphor from this (albeit probably not the more literal one of physical disability, which didn't feel like what the film was going for admittedly), but the setup is already something many people who feel like outsiders can relate to.

 

By letting this serve as the core of the movie, and driving it towards a not quite typical fairytale ending, it really succeeds in a moving way that sets it apart from other animated tales. You of course see a lot of common tropes from other Disney and Disney esque films: the heroic beta couple, animal sidekicks, medieval enchantment, and so on, but the film syntesizes these elements into a story with gorgeous animation, lovely melodies, and the classic strengths of the medium with a modern sensibility.

 

Rafe himself is a villain that feels all too real, just as one of my favorite Disney Villains, Claude Frollo. (Side note: thank god the rat and horse didn't end up like the gargoyles, even if they weren't quite as amusing as the film thinks they are) He's obsessed with order and control and refuses to let and change or abnormality affect his life, even gaslighting others into feeling the same. He's subtly chilling in a way that too many real life villains are.

 

The film is full on wondrous strength and hits a high note in its utterly moving and uplifting ending. I've yet to read Hilda, but Animation is really going to be a dead heat this year. Here's hoping this soars at the box office.

 

9.0/10

 

[Blankments]

Awesome thanks man! I have never read an Gemini Animation Studios film lol

 

As for the prologue being a film until itself... well that's the part that 

is an actual Grimm fairy tale haha

[Ezen Baklattan]

Let's jump in to the confusion.

 

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

A Pakistani skinhead enthusiast is....a new one.

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Spaghetti

[cookie]

3 minutes ago, Spaghetti said:

  Reveal hidden contents

A Pakistani skinhead enthusiast is....a new one.

 

Spoiler

 

 

1

Spoiler

I don't know when Yang's set but skinheads didn't really become associated with nazis until at least the late 80s. Before that it was mostly a working-class alternate values subculture.

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by cookie

[Ezen Baklattan]

6 minutes ago, cookie said:

  Hide contents

 

 

1

Spoiler

I don't know when Yang's set but skinheads didn't really become associated with nazis until at least the late 80s. Before that it was mostly a working-class alternate values subculture.

 

Spoiler

Seems to be set in modern day.

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

This isn't the first time John Boyega was a suspicious employee of a company that seemed like a dream job for the heroine.

 

 

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

Miriam: Of all the new recruits, why would you choose to warn me?

Darius doesn’t look back. He waves her off.

Darius: I have a crush on you. There. Band-aid’s ripped off.

 

Okay, I chuckled a bit.

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

Oh hello neocolonialism themes

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

Guess this turned into the Island of Dr. Phasma.

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Spaghetti

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

Karaoke evil queen ❤️

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

This is all just a prequel to The Lobster isn't it?

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

Miriam: But… The villagers! The villagers are the peacocks!

 

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

I FUCKING FORGOT THE DAUGHTER FROM YIN'S NAME AND NOW THIS IS THE PRICE I PAY

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Spaghetti

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spoiler

Yang (Y7, colorized):