newkidontheblock
Joined Oct 2003
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newkidontheblock's rating
Before I really get into the meat of this film, specifically why I wasn't impressed by it, I want to first mention what I liked about it. It was a gorgeous movie to view. The film wasn't afraid to use lush colors, especially in scenes in the White House's Blue Room. I also liked the use of period newsreels juxtaposed with (then) current, black and white footage of the actors. This movie was pleasing to the eye. Unfortunately, it was not so pleasing to the ear and mind.
There's really not much to Wilson from an intellectual point of view. It gives a very school book depiction of the man as the Ivy League President turned United States President. You can tell they tried to humanize him by putting a great deal of emphasis on his relationship with his family (especially in the first half), but in general the 28th President came off as dull and overly pious. I applaud Alexander Knox's effort, but it came up short for the most part. In general, the depiction of the characters came off as two-dimensional, cliché and generally hokey.
When you factor that along with the overly sappy score consisting of "heavenly" choirs and slow, orchestral strains of patriotic tunes and terrible pacing (the movie was a little over two and a half hours, but it felt much longer), it's no wonder why it bombed at the box office. In an era when audiences had a much higher tolerance for over sentimentality, this one pushed it too far.
There's really not much to Wilson from an intellectual point of view. It gives a very school book depiction of the man as the Ivy League President turned United States President. You can tell they tried to humanize him by putting a great deal of emphasis on his relationship with his family (especially in the first half), but in general the 28th President came off as dull and overly pious. I applaud Alexander Knox's effort, but it came up short for the most part. In general, the depiction of the characters came off as two-dimensional, cliché and generally hokey.
When you factor that along with the overly sappy score consisting of "heavenly" choirs and slow, orchestral strains of patriotic tunes and terrible pacing (the movie was a little over two and a half hours, but it felt much longer), it's no wonder why it bombed at the box office. In an era when audiences had a much higher tolerance for over sentimentality, this one pushed it too far.
There are few things I hate more on television than the Disney Channel. This factory of mediocrity has churned out "gems" like The Suite Life with Zach and Cody and the unfortunately popular Hanna Montana. The Disney Channel is a place for Uncle Walt's successors to push talentless teens out in front of the world. Said teens get a few moments of fame and the Mouse gets another few million.
Why do I make this cynical and cliché critique of the Disney Channel? Because I want to make sure every person who reads this understands how shocked and delighted I am by Gravity Falls.
Gravity Falls takes place in a remote Oregon town of the same name. It features Dipper and Mabel Pines (voiced by Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal respectively), a pair of twins, staying with their Great Uncle (or Grunkle, a term I believe needs to be used more often) Stan (voiced by show creator Alex Hirsch), a sleazy con-artist that runs a tourist trap called the Mystery Shack. Stan rips off gullible vacationers and townies with "supernatural" attractions and a less than stellar gift shop, overseen by man-child Soos (also voiced by Hirsch) and a down-to-earth slacker teenager Wendy (voiced by Linda Cardellini). It looks like a dull summer for the twins, but they soon find out that there is quite a lot of strange goings on in the little town.
This show has that right mix of humor and adventure every family program ought to have. It's written in a way that can engage people of all ages without pandering to anyone.
The voice actors were chosen masterfully, especially in Mabel Pines. I can't imagine anyone else but Schaal (who also voiced Trixie in Toy Story 3 and plays Mel in Flight of the Conchords)playing the bubbly, effervescent Mabel.
This show also features DIY voice acting from Hirsch, a seemingly common occurrence in animated shows today (Regular Show creator JG Quintel voicing Mordecai and High Five Ghost and Adventure Time creator Pen Ward voicing Lumpy Space Princess as well as a myriad of side characters). Hirsch shows quite a bit of range voicing miserly Stan and obvious Soos.
Gravity Falls is also able juxtapose the supernatural and the normal growing pains of adolescence. On a nearly weekly basis, the observant and intelligent Dipper finds a way to crack a mystery involving gnomes and crystals that change an object's size, yet he can't muster the courage to ask his crush, Wendy, on a date.
There are a lot of TV shows and movies that try so hard to reach that sweet spot where they can appeal to kids, parents and young adults, but fall painfully short. Gravity Falls, though, hits that spot brilliantly.
Like his fellow CalArts alumni Quintel and Ward, Hirsch's product is one made out of love and care and it's made clear in every episode. Most impressively, though, is that it gives me a reason to watch the Disney Channel.
Why do I make this cynical and cliché critique of the Disney Channel? Because I want to make sure every person who reads this understands how shocked and delighted I am by Gravity Falls.
Gravity Falls takes place in a remote Oregon town of the same name. It features Dipper and Mabel Pines (voiced by Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal respectively), a pair of twins, staying with their Great Uncle (or Grunkle, a term I believe needs to be used more often) Stan (voiced by show creator Alex Hirsch), a sleazy con-artist that runs a tourist trap called the Mystery Shack. Stan rips off gullible vacationers and townies with "supernatural" attractions and a less than stellar gift shop, overseen by man-child Soos (also voiced by Hirsch) and a down-to-earth slacker teenager Wendy (voiced by Linda Cardellini). It looks like a dull summer for the twins, but they soon find out that there is quite a lot of strange goings on in the little town.
This show has that right mix of humor and adventure every family program ought to have. It's written in a way that can engage people of all ages without pandering to anyone.
The voice actors were chosen masterfully, especially in Mabel Pines. I can't imagine anyone else but Schaal (who also voiced Trixie in Toy Story 3 and plays Mel in Flight of the Conchords)playing the bubbly, effervescent Mabel.
This show also features DIY voice acting from Hirsch, a seemingly common occurrence in animated shows today (Regular Show creator JG Quintel voicing Mordecai and High Five Ghost and Adventure Time creator Pen Ward voicing Lumpy Space Princess as well as a myriad of side characters). Hirsch shows quite a bit of range voicing miserly Stan and obvious Soos.
Gravity Falls is also able juxtapose the supernatural and the normal growing pains of adolescence. On a nearly weekly basis, the observant and intelligent Dipper finds a way to crack a mystery involving gnomes and crystals that change an object's size, yet he can't muster the courage to ask his crush, Wendy, on a date.
There are a lot of TV shows and movies that try so hard to reach that sweet spot where they can appeal to kids, parents and young adults, but fall painfully short. Gravity Falls, though, hits that spot brilliantly.
Like his fellow CalArts alumni Quintel and Ward, Hirsch's product is one made out of love and care and it's made clear in every episode. Most impressively, though, is that it gives me a reason to watch the Disney Channel.
