United in their love for the ‘little car’ as they might be, one thing the majority of Herbie fans can’t seem to agree on is on how the five movies released to date should be ranked. In this post I will attempt to list them according to how enjoyable and true-to-Disney an experience they offer the viewer.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ You’ve got your Star Wars light-sabres, your flying DeLorean and then there’s head-twisting Reagan. The image of the demon-infested girl is recognisable everywhere. The head spinning freak with the infected, lacerated face, sitting upright in bed spewing jets of green vomit all around her has not only become a staple image of horror but also one that universally signifies the horror genre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This film gives a stark, pessimistic picture of what, in different circumstances would have been a yellow-tinted, flowery depiction of one’s delicious teenage years. The time when one feels full of life. A period in life where romance or at least, touch, is lurking at the forefront of every interaction. When the name of the game is truth or dare and pretty much all tension is sexual... and when Summer days are endless, and everyone seems available, ready and willing. In Jack and Julie’s case, everyone is each other.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Generally speaking, One Hundred and One Dalmatians feels different to most of the older Disney animated Classics. The look is quite stylised and feels like an application of different techniques, ranging from water colour to graphic pens. Production commenced hot on the heels of Sleeping Beauty (1959), a film which also noted for its stylised and angular animation, but which however feels odder and (naturally) more dated than Dalmatians. I believe the recipe worked better in Dalmatians. The animation style more similar to that used in Sylvain Chomet’s The Triplets of Belleville (2003) and The Illusionist (2010), than, say Dumbo (1941) or Lady and the Tramp (1955).
A 35c review of Matteo Garrone's Pinocchio (2019)
Captain Phillips’ (2013) formula is a tired one – we have a seemingly ordinary bloke up against odds that seem impossible to beat. We’re supposed to kid ourselves into wondering who’s going to emerge victorious when we know the answer to that all along. The film was partly shot in Malta and stars Tom Hanks.... Continue Reading →
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) has to be my all-time favorite ‘Disney’ film without even being Disney in the first place. Produced by EON, the production company responsible for bringing us Ian Fleming’s Bond to the silver screen, this is a very loose adaptation of another of the British naval-intelligence officer’s creations. The story was... Continue Reading →
35c 