Reflections on Frozen (2013)

Frozen (2013)

Now that the dust has finally settled on Frozen (2013) - just in time for Maleficent (2014) too! - I feel that I can finally comment on what is now the most successful Disney Animation Studios film to date.  Usually I would have reviewed a Disney film when it came out, but I lost track of time and the movie became a cross generational phenomenon with Oscars, songs on the Billboard charts, and birthday parites/proms galore.  So really, I got off easy and now is as good a time as any to comment.  This might not be so much of a review or a critique, but more of a straight up reflection; plus, I feel like I should say something!

First of all, is Frozen the best DAS film to date?  No, but it is one of the best.  Did it deserve the Oscar for Best Animated Feature film?  I don't know, I haven't seen The Wind Rises (2013) (and Prof P says that one was better); however, I do feel that Frozen winning big is sort of like Scorsese winning big with The Departed (2006) in that the film almost needed to win to celebrate a larger previous body of work.  What I mean is that the DAS had it coming now that its third renaissance has come full circle.  And honestly, Brave (2012) beating out Wreck-It Ralph (2012) in last year's Oscars was total bullcrap.  But this leads me to the point that DAS has truly progressed and produced some excellent work since they reemerged in 2009 with The Princess and the Frog.  Indeed, that film exemplifies the mandate that DAS set out to achieve, which is to push Disney classicism into the zeitgeist.  And while they have excelled critically with each film since, Frozen represent the studio finally breaking through to the masses and striking cultural pay dirt.  Not surprisingly, Frozen  also represents the ideal summation of the recent tactics used across these DAS films of the previous four years.  The Princess and the Frog and Tangled (2010) were both classicist Disney princess films filtered through the modern feminist suggestion so often leveled against the princess films of Disney's golden age and even the late 1980's second coming.  Conversely, Winnie the Pooh (2011) and Wreck-It Ralph were more about pure Disney progression and experimentation, respectively.  Put it together and what do you get?  Frozen and massive success.

Frozen is an anti-princess tale, not only because there is no prince, but also because there is no need for a prince.  Despite The Princess and the Frog's racial milestone, there is still a prince; despite Tangled having no prince, there is a need for a prince and we essentially get one.  Frozen counters this by only suggesting the need for a prince, instead of using the character trope as mere misdirection.  The prince is a red herring slapping the face of classic Disney, and it works so well.  Therefore, with the subtext of virginity lost all but erased, the film is an ensemble journey and visual spectacle a la Pooh and Ralph.  This is why Frozen is now more successful than The Lion King (1994).  The film has everything Disney and yet is nothing like what we have seen before in the DAS canon, but what's important is that it still feels like Disney (almost more so than ever).

All in all, Disney has another big one in the can, and Frozen is already The Lion King of its generation and the most successful animated film to date, but DAS has been building up to this point after returning from the dead... again.  It will certainly be interesting to see if the studio can sustain this kind of success and influence in the wake of Frozen; Big Hero 6 is next on the docket and is slated for a fall release this year.  Regardless, Frozen has put DAS back on top, and deservedly so.  And while I'm sure we'll feel its presence for years to come, I'd personally rather here "Let it Go" over a Nickelback song any day.

- McS

 

   

Album Review: The Olms - The Olms (2013)

The Olms - The Olms (2013)

Between 2009 and 2010 Pete Yorn released three distinct and pretty decent albums (Back & Fourth (2009), Break Up (2009) with Scarlett Johannson, and Pete Yorn (2010)), so it makes sense that he would take a bit of time off.  In 2013 Yorn returned to the scene, but this time he's not alone.  Teaming up with his new partner in crime, LA neo-folk songsmith J.D. King, Yorn has found a fresh new voice in The Olms - and as their self-title debut proves, the band is surprisingly the sum of its parts.

While some fans might miss Yorn's straight-up roots rock ala Petty-Wallflowers, few can deny what a refreshing sound takes its place.  King is the perfect hazy foil for Yorn's somewhat somber tones, and it brings the best out of both songwriters.  Conceived as an almost pure collaboration of singing, songwriting, and performing, The Olms bounces around an eclectic mix of country and folk with a light shading of psychedelia thrown in for good measure.  In many ways, it's not unlike the sonic territory of Break Up; however, The Olms is far more successful in terms of the songwriting, and much more enjoyable.  Tracks like "On the Line" and "Wanna Feel It" embody this easy-going template as do "Someone Else's Girl" and "Twice as Nice" - even the left-field murder number "She Said No" is a winner!  All said and done, the entire album is immediately catchy and memorable.  But what's most important is that The Olms feels absolutely effortless, which is something that Yorn has never been able to achieve.  Even his impressive and very successful debut Musicforthemorningafter (2001) felt labored at times (though it never dragged on like subsequent releases).  Yet as a member of The Olms, Yorn just seems to be relaxed and better than ever.  In addition, King too seems to shine in this duo, whereas his solo material might be missing the zest afforded here by his copilot.

To put it simply, The Olms is pleasant surprise that gets better and more addictive with each repeated listen.  Both men are clearly songwriting pros in their own right, but together they are able to trim any solo fat and produce something that is truly transcendental.  Even if The Olms turns out to be just a one-off, it was an incredibly noble effort and totally worth it.  That being said, while more solo albums from either of them would hardly be a bad thing, more albums from The Olms would be the best thing!

- McS    

Album Review: Kamelot - Silverthorn (2012)

Kamelot - Silverthorn (2012)

Anytime a band loses a lead singer the future can look pretty grim; however, when that band is Kamelot and they lose a lead singer like Roy Khan, the future would seem almost nonexistent.  And while the musicianship of Kamelot has always been of the first order, Khan's voice was undoubtedly the band's signature.  Indeed, he had a set of pipes that would make both Michael Bolton and Pavarotti respectively cry and crap their pants.  Regardless, this was the reality for the symphonic metal band after their Gothic 2010 release Poetry for the Poisoned, and fans were concerned to say the least.  But what's more surprising than Khan's sudden departure is the band's swift return a mere two years later with a new lead singer on the 2012 album Silverthorn.  And while some might have thought the replacement of Khan would be a futile task, the results are actually astonishing as Silverthorn displays a renewed sense of purpose within the band, making it Kamelot's album best offering since their 2005 masterpiece The Black Halo.

Of course, much of Silverthorn's success must be credited to Khan's replacement, Tommy Karevik.  Despite having massive shoes to fill, Karevik's performance surpasses all expectations.  No only does he master the dynamic vocal acrobatics of his predecessor, but he also adds a touch of grit that Khan never seemed to provide (or want to).  This is a nice little trick in that Karevik effectively compensates for Khan without aping him, which is a massive task.  But then there's the rest of the band, who have turned out their finest set of songs since Halo.  Gone are the mismanaged Gothic tones that inhibited Poetry, and absent is the repetitive filler that wounded Ghost Opera (2007).  Instead, the band has flexed its signature epic symphonic muscles, expanding upon orchestrations and giving much more creative freedom to Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Palotai.  In "Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)" guitar and keyboard battle it out in the solo arena, while Amaranthe's Elize Ryd duets with Karevik for an instant classic.  Elsewhere, the band thunders on "Solitaire" and readily shifts dynamics on "Ashes to Ashes," only to take it down a notch for the powerful "Falling Like the Fahrenheit" or the elegant "Song for Jolee."  It's quite the memorable set, which is a relief considering that Kamelot's past two albums tended to sort of miss the mark.

In the end, Silverthorn proves that what doesn't kill you can make you stronger.  Khan certainly brought a distinction to Kamelot's sound and he will be missed, but he wasn't the end all be all of the band.  Karevik has provided an exciting new chapter for the band as well as one of their finest albums, and the future looks bright.  Hopefully the next round of surprises for the band will be only good ones.

- McS      

Wreck-It Ralph (2012) Review

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

It's official: Disney Animation Studios has eclipsed Pixar.  While Brave (2012) was good enough, it was surprisingly underwhelming, and that's disappointing considering that might be the the only non-sequal Pixar has in store for us in the next while.  While some might attribute this to Pixar alum John Lasseter's jump to the parent company (that being Disney), there's really no reason why Pixar shouldn't sustain its momentum generated by its triumphs of not so long ago.  Regardless, the rebooted DAS is four for four with its latest release, the very excellent and very exuberant Wreck-It Ralph (2012)!

Without really needing to get into the story, Wreck-It Ralph takes the familiar "who am I and what can I become?" story and appropriately inserts it into the world of games and gaming.  I mean, what better environment to ask the "who am I and what can I become?" question?  And this is obviously the focal point for the title character.  Ralph (voiced by the uncanny John C. Riley) is the "bad guy" in his residence arcade game Fix-It Felix, but he's not a villain, he was just programmed that way, and that depresses him.  It's interesting to see the nature vs. nurture debate played out in the gaming world, but it fits nicely into the maxim of what we are given vs. what we do with what we're given.  Disney has never been a stranger to this kind of arc, but the fact that Ralph was designed to be his world's antagonist is all the more overwhelming; it really puts a new spin on the whole antihero trope!  Riley voices his avatar with such conviction that you can believe Ralph truly wants to be something more than his "genetic" design.  Even more amusing is Ralph's in-game nemesis Felix (voiced by the equally uncanny Jack McBrayer), who in some ways displays the same heart as Ralph, but is and always is the hero of the game.  Unable to deal with always being the bad guy, Ralph eventually leaves his game and ventures into other Arcade games for the chance to be a hero; however, his design can only follow him, so he can only leave a path of destruction, a path that could lead to the end of his world, and other arcade worlds.

What could have just been a simple platonic cave film (like Brave) is instead a joyous voyage into the multiplicity of character within systems of society.  Directer Rich Moore (a veteran of both The Simpsons and Futurama) uses his expertise in animated satire to craft a world where each arcade games acts as a different country governed by its game play.  Walt himself might roll in his grave to see Marxism portrayed in such a colorful way, but he would probably applaud Ralph for fighting the system!  Regardless, the satire is biting at times, but it's difficult to fixate on that when your favorite game characters and game references are around every corner.  Indeed, Wreck-It Ralph takes on as much as it can, and multiplies it by a bucket of chicken to find the gamer in every audience member.  What's truly amazing, however, is that all of the references and Easter eggs only serve to propel the enjoyment of the narrative, they don't submerge the plot in any way, and that's no easy task.  Had the film only been a vehicle for the gaming references, it would still be enjoyable and exciting, but the fact that it keeps its narrative focus despite all of the chaos is a real credit to Disney's ambition.

In the end, Wreck-It Ralph takes a familiar story and filters it through a plethora of pop-cultural gaming references without losing the narrative; in fact, the film transcends every trope and every referential nugget to become the sum of its parts and thoroughly entertain.  Ironically, this is arguably the the best gaming movie ever made, and the central games in the story don't even exist.  However, if they did, I would certainly play them.  In 1982, Disney made gaming waves with the groundbreaking Tron; three decades later, Disney does it again, but this time it's a celebration of what led us to this point, and no one will celebrate more than the audience.

McS           

Skyfall (2012) Review

Skyfall (2012) Review

(WARNING: SPOILERS)

Skyfall (2012) is a great movie; it’s just not as great as it could have been.

There is no question that Skyfall is the best made Bond movie in the last 50 years. It is artfully and creatively filmed, and shows us Bond doing his thing as a dark silhouette in the shadows, among bright and multi-colored neon lights, and even under an iced-over lake in the Scottish moors. A lot of credit must go to both director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins for delivering the most beautiful Bond film in decades.

And while the story is in many ways fresh and exciting, it never reaches the same heights as franchise-best Casino Royale (2006). Never is the narrative quite as intense or engrossing, and never do we quite care about Bond’s journey as much we did in 2006. It’s unfortunate that all future Bond movies (at least Daniel Craig-staring Bond movies) must be compared to Casino Royale, but that is the blessing and curse we are left with. It’s unfortunate because Skyfall is unquestionably one of the better Bond movies. But it is not the best.

First, the good things. Aside from the aforementioned cinematography and direction, Skyfall features some incredible performances from Craig as Bond, Dame Judi Dench reprising her role as M for the last time, Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory, and Ben Whishaw, the first actor to play Q since John Cleese in 2002’s Die Another Day (2002). French actress Bérénice Lim Marlohe does an impressive job playing Sévérine, although she does not have much screen time. Finally, everything that has been said about Javier Bardem’s performance is true. He plays Raoul Silva with a sociopathic flamboyance that makes all of his scenes uncomfortable to watch, but totally engrossing.

Yet, Silva’s motivations do not always mirror his actions, and I was left more than a little confused about what Silva truly hoped to accomplish. At times, Silva’s plan was so precise and meticulous that he knew exactly when a subway train was going to pass over a piece of track right where he had placed a bomb at the precise time Bond stood underneath said section of track. At other times, Silva was unable to shoot M at near point blank range. Why would Silva orchestrate such a precise and elaborate plan only to have the ultimate goal of such plan (i.e. killing M) left to a chance bullet?

Bardem himself said in an interview that his character was the most undeveloped of all the main characters in the film, and that he only agreed to accept the role on the condition that he could work with Mendes and the screenwriters to make his character more interesting. For the most part, it seems his efforts were successful.

However, Skyfall’s biggest problem is that Bond’s character arc is not as satisfying as the setup leads us to believe. The film opens with M ordering MI6 Agent Eve (Naomi Harris) to shoot a target who is at that moment battling Bond on the top of a moving train. Bond is hit, and falls from a bridge to the waters below. We spend a lot of time establishing that Bond has been both physically and psychologically damaged from this incident. He avoids returning to MI6 for as long as possible, resorting to alcohol and self-medication to numb his pain. When he does finally return, he fails both his physical and mental evaluations. He is out-of-breath after only a few laps in the pool. He cannot shoot straight. And it is unclear how much he really trusts M after she almost had him killed. We spend almost the entire first hour of the film establishing Bond’s hurt, and yet none of it really matters in the rest of the film. Aside from a failed shooting contest, Bond’s physical and emotional scars are all but forgotten as the film moves into its second and third acts. Bond is capable and competent when he needs to be. And the film ends without ever dealing with the dark issues raised in its first half, such as Bond’s alcoholism and depression. Thus, while it is interesting to see Bond so vulnerable and fragile, the film never does anything truly compelling with its broken lead character. I was left unsatisfied.

Finally, I found there were a few too many nods to the past. While I enjoy an homage or subtle reference as much as the next Bond fan, too many such references feel out-of-place in this more modern and realistic world. The Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger (1964) has more than a cameo in the film’s final act. And I don’t just mean any Aston Martin DB5, I mean THE Aston Martin DB5, complete with all of the original gadgets. The look of pain and anger on Daniel Craig’s face when Silva blows up the car (a shot that lasts an uncomfortable five seconds), is laughable, and really took me out of what was otherwise a really thrilling and emotional sequence. Craig didn’t even look that angry when Vesper Lynd died in Casino Royale.

I love Craig’s take on Bond. And I would take Skyfall any day over the wretched Quantum of Solace (2008), or most of the other Bond movies. I am merely disappointed that it was not as good as it could have been. The setup was so strong, and the filmmaking was as good as it has ever been. Let us all try again in two years.

Professor P

Album Review: The Wallflowers - Glad All Over (2012)

The Wallflowers - Glad All Over (2012)

It's been a long long LONG seven years since The Wallflowers last album, which was the excellent but ultimately ineffectual Rebel, Sweetheart (2005), so this might be a longer review!  And while it's true that Jakob Dylan put out a couple of great solo albums over this period, it's important to note that Dylan isn't The Wallflowers.  The solo material wasn't that of a band, regardless of the same songwriter.  It's certainly true that Dylan stayed on the scene with these albums, but the music was surprisingly miles away from the rock band that is The Wallflowers, and nowhere is that more apparent than with the band's triumphant 2012 return.  May I present to you: Glad All Over.

But before I dive into the new album, I have a bit more exposition.  Following Sweetheart and its lackluster commercial reception, The Wallflowers took a hiatus.  As previously stated, Dylan spent the break mining a solo career with two excellent releases.  Both the bare-bones Seeing Things (2008) and the austere Women + Country (2010) ended up doing surprisingly well considering the songwriting came from the same source as the under-performing Sweetheart.  While it was certainly nice to see Dylan "remain in light," it was also a bit disconcerting in terms of the future of The Wallflowers and whether it was worth it for Dylan to return to the band.  And although Sweetheart was a great album, it felt like they had reached a point where they had said all they needed to; it actually felt like a break was in order.  So really there's no surprise that they went on hiatus, but the years started to pile up, and despite a brief reformation over the 2009 compilation Collected: 1996-2005, the prospect of a new release from the band seemed forever delayed.  Of course, that all changed at the beginning of 2012!

Fast forward a bit to July, and we have "Reboot the Mission," the most radical thing the band has ever presented.  Whether or not this was an accurate indication of what the entire album would sound like, one thing was clear, and that was that The Wallflowers were game for letting loose.  And now that we're finally at the album's release, what is the definitive statement on if the band took a left turn or not?  Well... yes and to a lesser extent no.  While "Reboot the Mission" is certainly the furthest the band ventures from their signature Petty-esque template on Glad All Over, the album does (thankfully) possess an altogether different direction, and one that is nothing short of invigorating.

The last time the band tried something different was a decade ago with Red Letter Days (2002), but the results were mixed.  While it's true that the album produced some of the band's finest songs, the surprisingly clean production arguably undermined the album as a whole and didn't help the lesser songs (keep in mind that the production for Red Letter Days is still miles away from the pop-gloss of what bands like Train and Matchbox 20 are doing now).  That's why the subsequent Sweetheart was so back-to-basics, but there's no reason why they couldn't try something different again; indeed, the band has certainly used its hiatus to regroup and re-energize, and yet they feel both compelled and confident to experiment and burn brighter than they ever have before.  Glad All Over is without a doubt the hardest charging album in the band's catalog, and it never really lets up.  Even the powerful and energetic Sweetheart stopped every now and then to deliver a moody ballad or a gentle mid-tempo number; but not here.  The album opens with the blistering "Hospital For Sinners" and doesn't let up until the end.  Even the slower tracks like "First One in the Car" or "The Devil's Waltz" retain an edge of urgency that eventually erupt into bursts of fiery passion, only to be followed by faster, heavier tracks.  "Misfits and Lovers" is propelled by a rhythm ala The Clash, while "Have Mercy on Him Now" rollicks with an almost Motown feel.  Interestingly enough, there isn't much Tom Petty to be found on Glad All Over, but it actually serves more as a breath of fresh air as opposed to a disappointment.  The band is clearly having fun, and not concerning itself with embracing the pop tendencies of some of their peers.  But what's great is that they are still able to deliver something excellent, as is perfectly evident on the shimmering "Love Is a Country," a heartbreaking open road offering that is so genius in its elegant simplicity that it is probably the band's finest song to date, and that's a huge accomplishment considering The Wallflowers have always managed to produce songs that transcend.  Even if Glad All Over is not the best Wallflowers album, it's certainly their most engaging.

All in all, Glad All Over is a fun, free, and radiant experience, and proof that the band is still a relevant presence and that Jakob Dylan needs to be in a band.  And while the album might not and probably won't make much of a difference in the pop world at large, Glad All Over is a sterling reminder that The Wallflowers are ultimately the best post-Tom Petty craftsmen in the roots-rock genre today; I just hope that it won't be another seven years for the next reminder.

McS  



    

Album Review: The Wallflowers - Collected: 1996-2005 (2009)

The Wallflowers - Collected: 1996-2005 (2009)

With the impending release of  The Wallflowers new album, it seems only fair to review their last offering that I didn't review and I had every opportunity to review. Maybe the reason I didn't was because it was Collected: 1996-2005 (2009), a greatest hits collection through the band's Interscope years, and there wasn't much else to report on it. That being said, there's no time like another release to review a compilation...

... that makes no sense whatsoever, but here we go, and in a brief way:

Collected: 1996-2005, as the title suggests contains songs from seminal Bringing Down the Horse (1996) to the almost as excellent Rebel, Sweetheart (2005). So there is nothing from the band's eponymous 1992 debut, which is too bad but makes sense. The Wallflowers belonged to Virgin Records and exuded a far more alt-country twang as opposed to the more polished roots-rock of subsequent albums. Collected contains all of the official singles from the albums in range, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it makes for few surprises.

Fortunately, the compilation does contain a few extras to bring in those that own everything else already (like me). These are the surprisingly progressive "Eat Your Sleeping" from the superior (Breach) (2000) era, and the touchingly mellow demo version of Rebel's "God Says Nothing Back." Both tracks are actually excellent and do make this collection worth it for hard core fans, but it would have been nice to have a little more (maybe just one more). That being said, a certain addition of Collected exists with a DVD of all the bands videos, and that's a lot of fun (they have some pretty solid ones) Anyway, there it is, Collected, and soon... what we've all been waiting for...

McS