Month: February 2015

Movie Review: Big Hero 6

Title: Big Hero 6
Directors: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Cast: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T. J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans, Jr., Génesis Rodríguez, Maya Rudolph
Genre: Animation
Running Time: 102 minutes
Accolade: Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature

Plot
Based on a comic book by the same name, on the exterior, this movie is an action-packed adventure/comedy about how an unlikely group of 5 “kids” and an oversized robot came together to “fight evil”, but at its core, it is a beautiful story about overcoming grief.

He Said
I was skeptical about this movie due to the unappealing title that makes it sound like a sequel and lackluster “teaser trailer”, but the fact that it was from someone who worked on Frozen made me curious. Additionally, as a healthcare professional, I also thought the concept of Baymax, a personal healthcare robot, was hilarious. Therefore I watched Big Hero 6 with little knowledge of the plot/premise and relatively low expectations… and what a splendid surprise! The beginning is admittedly slow, but once Baymax comes to life and attends to the needs of the depressed Hiro, it is golden. There is so much humor and joy to be had from the scene-stealing Baymax! The action and animation are so well done, but what impresses me the most is the brilliant and mature script that so effectively portrays tragedy, grief, and healing. The emotional ending earns all of my heartfelt tears.

She Said
If the virtue of a movie resides in its ability to induce cathartic tears, then this movie ranks very, very high on my list. In short, I balled. Like Thanh, I brushed off the movie after seeing its unimpressive (and slow paced) preview. The movie, however, drew me in the moment Hiro explored the robotics lab at his brother’s university. The innovations! What started as an intellectual adventure quickly escalated to an emotional catharsis. I recommend this animation unequivocally and can’t wait to (re-)watch it with my niece and nephew!

We Say
Big Hero 6 is an amazing and brilliant movie that has tremendous emotional resonance. Disney continues to prove it is in a new “Golden Age” with Big Hero 6 deservedly earning the studio its second consecutive Oscar for “Best Animated Feature” (after 2014’s epic Frozen). This is a must-watch movie for all of its action, comedy, and heart – it is all-around fun for all ages (although “younger kids” will probably not appreciate it as much) with a wonderful message about dealing with losses.

Broadway Review: Wicked

Title: Wicked
Directors: James M. Nederlander & James L. Nederlander
Cast: Kara Lindsay, Lilli Cooper, Kathy Fitzgerald, Tom McGowan, Matt Shingledecker, Catherine Charlebois, Robin De Jesus, Timothy Britten Parker
Genre: Musical
Running Time: 2.5 hours (with 15 min intermission)

Plot
Wicked is one of Broadway’s biggest and most acclaimed hits, which reframes the classic story of The Wizard of Oz and thereby spins it into a refreshing, creative retelling with new layers (based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West).

He Said
While The Wizard of Oz movie has some good songs and the costumes/cinematography is indeed iconic, I must admit that I wasn’t a fan of the movie. The slow pace and illogical storytelling felt too campy. Truthfully I also don’t love musicals as a genre. I can endure and even enjoy songs interspersed (such as in some of Disney’s classics), but I much prefer dialogue and speedy plotting. Therefore I’m not sure why I wanted to see Wicked for so many years. Perhaps it was just all of the hype (same reason I watched The Wizard of Oz). Perhaps this curiosity was renewed after watching Once Upon A Time‘s spin on Oz/The Wicked Witch of the West during season 3. In any case, I did at last see Wicked. Similar to my reaction to The Wizard of Oz movie, I was underwhelmed and felt like it was too long, but overall the storyline felt more mature and better developed with nice twists all-the-while being truthful to the source material. The costumes and staging were impressive. I didn’t love any of the songs and actually couldn’t make out the lyrics sometimes. We unfortunately also didn’t get to see the “real” star of Elphaba but instead saw her understudy, who felt like a miscast.

She Said
While the plot was excellent with many twists and connections to The Wizard of Oz, I couldn’t help but tune into the orchestra. I honestly hoped to either be seeing a play or a symphony. However, the storytelling was not lacking, with great humor interspersed. Glinda stole the show for me – in acting, comedic timing, and singing. Perhaps this is because Elphaba was portrayed by an understudy, a fact we weren’t informed of until we sat down and read the Playbill… Another complaint: the main love story was inappropriately sexual. There were kids in the audience and I had hoped the show to be more G-rated. Overall, it was nice to see what the buzz is all about, but it definitely felt long. I was ready to leave after Act I…

We Say
Our Wicked viewing exemplifies how much productions (be it TV, movies, or musicals) depend on star power and the right casting. When the lead role suffers, the rest suffers too. While Wicked wasn’t terrible by any means and honestly musicals aren’t our cup of tea, we think we would have enjoyed it more if the character of Elphaba was played by someone else. Wicked is definitely a must-see for fans of The Wizard of Oz and for people who love Broadway/musicals. For everyone else, you can see it for the hype and to experience Broadway (great production values), but it’s not worth going out of the way or to pay lots of money for if you’re not a true fan (which is what we did).

Movie Review: Despicable Me (1 & 2)

Title: Despicable Me
Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Cast: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Benjamin Bratt
Genre: Animation
Running Time: 95 minutes; 98 minutes

Plot
The Despicable Me franchise follows the adventures of Gru, a “super-villain”, his Minions, and the family he acquires in his quest to enact his “evil plots”. There are currently two movies, with more coming out in the near future.

He Said
I saw the trailer for Despicable Me in 2010 when I was watching Toy Story 3 in theaters. It seemed funny, but I never had any desire to watch animated kids movies (not made by Disney/PIXAR). Curious about the ubiquitous Minions and hearing that the niece/nephews enjoyed the movie, I decided to watch it after so many years. Similar to Tangled, I wanted to quit after 20 minutes. The movie seemed like superfluous, forced comedy without any storyline. Despicable Me picks up instantly after Gru decides to adopt three orphans to fulfill his villainous plan. From there, it becomes a rather entertaining and fun story about how a “villain” becomes a “hero” (in the vein of Wreck it Ralph – albeit not as touching). Despicable Me 2 picks up where the first movie left off, making Gru return to his “former ways” to catch a true “super-villain”. Unlike its predecessor, the sequel is all over the place, with no true plot. While it retained the humor and it was nice to see the charming characters from the first movie again, the sequel was not memorable as it lacked that emotional pull.

She Said
One of my challenges/resolutions for this year is to write a children’s book. Thus I asked my niece and nephews about their favorite books/films for inspiration. This gave rise to a weekend marathoning animated features. Like Thanh, I wanted to quit Despicable Me, but faith in my little ones’ taste kept me going. In the end, the charming film introduced one of the cutest animated characters – Agnes. The sequel, however, disappointed on all fronts, overdosing viewers with unnecessary humor, characters, and side plots.

We Say
Despicable Me is a charming and funny movie with a positive message (despite a slow start). While Despicable Me 2 does a decent job with continuing the storyline and providing some further character development, it lacks the clear theme/purpose that the predecessor has and is therefore not as good. If you watch the original 2010 movie, you will probably end up liking the characters and thus want to continue to watch the rest of the franchise. Here’s to hoping that they don’t milk the cow too dry!

Valentine’s Gift Guide

Shop Valentine’s gifts designed by Thanh!

We write the following gift guides with great hesitation. First, because we feel gifts to your significant other should come in the form of handmade love or an unforgettable experience. Second, we don’t want to contribute to the Valentine’s industry. But we understand that material gifts can come with love. And sometimes, a relationship needs a holiday as an excuse to exchange these tokens of love. So here are our gift guides. But keep in mind that anything that comes from the heart will be appreciated!

For Her