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I think that because my expectations were so low going in, I ended up really enjoying this movie. The promotional footage and images with the bright colors and goofy character designs made me think that this movie was being targeted for really little kids, but DON'T BE FOOLED. This is definitely aimed for the 10 and older demographic, as evidenced by all the pee jokes and innuendos. That being said, I was delightfully surprised by the clever humor, beautiful animation, and insanely fun climax. I must say, though, that this movie's greatest achievement is having one of the best voice casts I've ever seen. Jason Sudeikis is a strong center to the film, and his deadpan delivery makes me upset that he is no longer attached to that Fletch reboot. Bill Hader creates a Gregory Peck, George C. Scott-like persona as the villainous Leonard. Peter Dinklage almost steals the show as the a flawed icon of the birds. There's also some great work being done by the likes of Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Keegan Michael-Key, and, of all people, Sean Penn, and it's fun to hear some great TV actors like Tony Hale, Danielle Brooks, Ike Barinholtz and Tituss Burgess in smaller roles. The highlights, though, are Josh Gad and Danny McBride, who help create two of the most memorable sidekicks in modern film animation. While watching this movie, I kept comparing it to Zootopia. While Zootopia had a much more original premise and all-around creativity, Angry Birds was stronger in terms of humor and all-around enjoyment, which I think comes from the simplicity of the story and characters.

I have a long history with "The Music Man". I played Mayor Shinn in a children's community theatre production when I was 11, and I grew up with both this version and the original 1962 movie with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. I've recently revisited both of these movies. The original holds up very well, with all-around stellar performances and a wonderful nostalgic atmosphere. It is in both of these departments where this remake fails. While a lot of people constantly criticize Matthew Broderick for being bland and stiff, I find him to be extremely funny and fun to watch, with this performance being an exception. I don't think it's all his fault, though. It's just a case of very bad casting. He's too nerdy and bookish to play the suave, fast-talking con man. Broderick also has the same problem as a lot of the rest of the cast. They play it too contemporary. Everyone talked as if they were in the early 2000s, rather than the early 1900s. Victor Garber as the supercilious mayor needs to be MUCH more over-the-top, but rather plays it as something out of CSI. Molly Shannon as his wife also underplays the comedy way too much, which is something she has never seemed to have a problem with. She just doesn't have the terminal sense of disdain in her voice that Hermione Gingold had in the 1962 version. Some of the ensemble acting and singing is just BAD. The opening train scene, usually a highlight, is downright cringe-worthy in this version. The highlight of this movie, without a doubt, is Kristin Chenoweth. Though I think she has gone down hill as a performer recently, she is at the top of her game in this otherwise-terrible movie. She seems to be the only one there who understands the time period and the style of comedy this musical requires, and she sings the hell out of that beautiful music!! The only one who comes close to her is Debra Monk as her mother. She just tends to go a little too stereotypical- Irish mother, but her scenes with Chenoweth are the acting highlights of the movie. Overall, I would recommend this to any Kristin Chenoweth fan who wants to see her nail one the great Soprano roles in musical theater. But for anyone who wants to introduce themselves to this great American musical, watch the original.

I remember seeing this movie in theaters when it first came out and liking it. But watching it recently, I realized how truly amazing it was. I think that I enjoyed it more now that I was older because I got a lot more of the jokes. It was also great as an actor to hear all the theater jokes Jim Carrey did as Count Olaf. Speaking of which, I thought that he did an excellent job. Aside from being very funny, I thought he did a great job with the sinisterness of Olaf. The kids are all very good. As always, Meryl Streep was brilliant. Timothy Spall was the perfect Mr. Poe! The only thing I would have wanted in this movie was more of the acting troupe. On the DVD, there are some outtakes and deleted scenes of Olaf interacting with his troupe, played by a group of truly hilarious performers (including the brilliant Jennifer Coolodge). I would like to see a whole movie with just them. Overall, I thought this movie was written, directed, designed, and acted brilliantly