Podcast Review In this podcast, Søren and Ben discuss Disney’s animated film, Zootopia. Be sure to scroll down and read more about their respective opinions in more detail. As always, you can subscribe to our podcast feed using iTunes or by copying this link into your RSS reader. Alternatively, you can check out the episode online or download it here. Happy listening! […]
Big Hero 6
Film has the capacity to inspire us. It can make us feel sentimental, happy and sad. The greatest power a movie has is the ability to reach out and touch an audience’s heart. Big Hero 6, directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, achieves this and more. This Disney animated movie (made in conjunction with Marvel Studios) tells […]
The Boxtrolls
When the first trailer for The Boxtrolls came out, it seemed pretty progressive. The trailer touts the idea that parents come in all shapes, sizes and forms (and yes, sometimes boxes). It intimates that not all families include a mother and a father. I was excited. The Boxtrolls is based on Alan Snow’s kids novel, Here Be Monsters! It follows […]
Sylvain Chomet’s Swing Popa Swing Cancelled
According to French outlet Focus on Animation, Sylvain Chomet’s Swing Popa Swing has been cancelled. The news broke in March in an SPFA (Syndicat des Producteurs de Films d’Animation) newsletter. The first image for the highly-anticipated prequel to The Triplets of Belleville was released in January 2013, generating excitement among fans. However, both Les Armateurs, the studio behind Triplets, and Chomet’s IMDB page no […]
The Lego Movie
Style is so often substituted for substance in film that seeing something as synergistic as The Lego Movie is truly marvelous, and even more of a joy to look back on. Writer-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have built a multifaceted, visually stunning film. The Lego Movie is at once a brilliantly subversive satire, a heartfelt ode to […]
Frozen
What a nice surprise. Childhood years overfilled with Disney movies have left me feeling queasy at the slightest mention of the brand. However, after seeing Frozen on a whim, I’m glad I gave the company another chance. Co-directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee have crafted a fresh, fun film, loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow […]
Monsters University
Phew. They’re back. Oh lord yes, they’re back. Monsters University doesn’t exceed the quality of its predecessor, but mostly because it isn’t trying to. For this second outing, Pixar has efficiently narrowed their scope, while applying the same dedication to world-building and character development that’s made them who they are. After two less than stellar […]
Oz the Great and Powerful
I’m always curious why auteur directors step outside of their boxes. Even if the films they make aren’t particularly good, they’re at least consistent, and they enhance our understanding of the director’s style. That said, I’m of the opinion that Sam Raimi needs to get back in his horror box, and fast. I’m in the […]
Brave
Pixar and trust – for many, those two words are synonymous. Since November 22, 1995, when Pixar produced Toy Story, audiences have trusted in the studio to tell great stories executed with stunning presentation. Pixar greats include The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and WALL-E, and although Toy Story still remains one my favorite films of all time, I could go on […]
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson has a special place in my heart. Back in 2007, during one of the many times my mother sat me down to watch some obscure film she’d heard about, she popped in a film that sounded incredibly drab to my younger self entitled The Darjeeling Limited. To my surprise, ninety-one minutes later, a broad smile had crept […]
Kung Fu Panda 2
I can safely say that I haven’t had as much fun watching a movie in a while as I did when I saw Kung Fu Panda 2. As a sequel to the much-lauded Kung Fu Panda, it succeeds on every front, and as a piece of cinema, it makes for a compelling, dramatic addition to […]
Winnie the Pooh
Harkening back to the glory days of Disney, in the pre-3D animation era where hand-drawn artistry was revered above all else, comes Winnie the Pooh, a wonderful piece of nostalgic filmmaking that will delight the whole family. The first of many smart choices on Disney’s part came when they decided to maintain the style and […]
The Iron Giant
Brad Bird’s The Iron Giant mixes adult themes about over-encroaching governments and biting political commentary with humor, heart, and a true soul. To say this film is anything less than one of the preeminent animated films of our time is to do it injustice. I do not believe any movie has been able to so deftly […]
Hugo
I must begin this review by dispelling one of the major misconceptions about this film: those of you who have been led to believe that Hugo is a “steampunk fantasy adventure” (as one friend described it) will be sorely disappointed. Hugo takes place almost exclusively inside a train station in Paris, France. Some amount of […]
Up with Chad and Søren (Archive)
This is from the archives, back when Movie Fail was just two high school kids and a computer. In this piece, Chad and Søren discuss Pete Docter’s Up, starring Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, and Jordan Nagai. Chad’s Verdict: Movie Win Søren’s Verdict: Movie Win Score: 90% Note: This review is not indicative of the format of future podcast reviews. Pre-2012 podcasts do […]
