Happily Ever After picture image

Happily Ever After

Unlike Fergully, I have memories of watching Happily Ever After as kid. It was sort of special to me because I could only watch it at my friends’ house. That being said there is no power of nostalgia or sentiment clouding this movie for me, this movie is terrible. It’s psychically hurts.

It was made by in 1988, completed in 1990 and released in 1993 by Filmation. It’s been in moratorium since October 25th 1996. It only saw actively for three years. What does that say about the quality of this movie?

Snow White and the Shadow Man Happily Ever After picture image

Snow White and the Shadow Man

Happily Ever After is a sequel to Snow White in a general sense. It starts with the Evil Queen’s minions partying and celebrating her death. Then the Evil Lord Maliss (too subtle), the Queen’s brother, comes in and is pissed off and plots revenge on Snow White.

Snow White and her nameless prince are on route to invite the dwarves to their wedding. Why didn’t they send an invitation via mail? The Plot says so, damn it. They get attacked by Maliss in dragon form and Snow White gets away but the Prince isn’t so lucky.

Snow White runs into a dark forest and reaches the dwarves’ house but now their cousins live there, the seven Dwarfelles, chick dwarves. They all have have super powers that are  based on their names, convenient isn’t it. They take Snow White to Mother Nature  at Rainbow Falls (sounds likes something for a Skittles commerial) for help on how to get her Prince back. But Maliss shows up and tells Snow White that if she wants her Prince back to come to his castle in the Realm of Doom (still way too subtle). Hey movie, subverting a stereotype doesn’t really correct it. But whatever, at least Snow White has to do something.

So off they all go. Along the way, they encounter a shadow man who looks like Orko from He-Man, so I’m just going to call him Orko. The Dwarfelles don’t really trust Orko but Snow White figures out that Orko seems to be helping her. Hmmmmmmm, I wonder who Orko could really be, hmmmmmmm, it’s so hard to figure out!

Then Snow White is captured by Maliss. But what’s this, her Prince is there in castle and leads her to some place with creepy statues. Hmmmmm, he is acting lot less bland than he was a the start of the movie, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I wonder why that could be?

OH, because it was really Maliss in design, OH geeze, movie, how you tricked me……….

Maliss’ plan is to turn Snow White into stone with a cloak. Remember when they mentioned that Maliss has a cloak that turns this into stone earlier? Neither do I! Anyway the dwarfelles try to save her but fail and get turned to stone all except the inept Thunderella. Orko also tries to help but gets K.Oed. I do like Snow White bitch slapping Maliss but then she gets tied up.

Anyway, Thunderella gets her weather powers under control which gives Snow White the chance to throw the cloak over Maliss. And then every one is better but Orko. However Snow White’s tears or love or some BS save him but what’s this? Orko was really the Prince under Maliss’ spell. OH WHAT A TWIST, I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING AT ALL! And yeah happy ending.

Sunburn and Scowl Happily Ever After picture image

Sunburn and Scowl

This movie is a mess from start to finish. It doesn’t come across in my little write up but this movie, like the 1939 Gulliver’s Travels, focuses a lot more on the side characters, the Dwarfells and the evil minions, Scowl the Owl and Batso the Bat. Oh, the clever geniuses that thought up those names. Scowl and Batso are very annoying to the point of killing brain cells. They are heavy focused and really add nothing to anything.

Furthermore, I really dislike how bats are portrayed in children’s movies. Bats are awesome creatures who can eat mosquitoes. I know I dissed Batty from Ferngully last week but Batty is a billion times better than Batso. I mean they could have cut Scowl and Batso out but they need stupid goofiness to combat the creepiness.

The Dwarfelles (I die a little each time I type that) were also annoying especially Sunburn. I hated her saying “that really burns me up” over and over and over again and again and again. It was painful.

Snow White and her Prince Happily Ever After picture image

Snow White and her Prince

Other than the outright goofy characters we have the supposed main characters; Snow White, Mr. Prince “Orko” Shadow Man and Lord Maliss. They are all bland. Prince is more interesting in his cursed state but then it becomes a Beauty and the Beast thing.

Also I want point out that by the Prince helping Snow White at every turn doesn’t it help  to subvert the damsel in distress stereotype that they were truing to go for, so this movie just plays into it.

Lord Maliss Happily Ever After picture image

Lord Maliss

Maliss I want to say is interesting because his motive comes from place of love for his sister. But why is he after Snow White? She didn’t kill the queen, wasn’t she like dead when that happened?

Anyway Maliss is just evil and not really delightfully so either. I wished he had done away with Scowl in a quicker fashion than that stupid candle rope thing. I mean he has the cloak, instant death. I really hate Scowl. I hate this movie………. cries

Snow White Happily Ever After picture image

Snow White

Snow White, well she does look like Snow White, that a plus. She is fairly bland, I mean she does tries to defend herself and is nice. It’s not really her fault that she lacks interest.

The movie doesn’t care about her as character, she is a plot point for the side characters. I wished the movie had explored her more as the movie follows her but I think the movie would have rather not, it would rather been about Scowl and Batso, grrr hates.

The Shadow Man a.k.a The Prince a.k.a an Orko Knock-off Happily Ever After picture image

The Shadow Man a.k.a The Prince a.k.a an Orko Knock-off

I mentioned that the Prince’s Shadow Man form looked liked Orko from He-Man but prior to that I thought the Prince in his regular form looked like something out of He-man. And I was right, Filmation is the studio who did He-Man and this abomination.
The animation is not good. It looks old even for 1988 when it was made. Snow White was clearly rotoscoped which like have said in other posts, looking jarring with clearly non-rotoscope characters exist in the same scene.

Snow White hugs Thunderella Happily Ever After picture image

Snow White hugs Thunderella

Then were have the songs, which are also mind-numbingly painful. I just point out, NOT ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS GETS A SONG! Scowl gets one as do Thunderella and Mother Nature. Snow White’s voice actress Irene Cara sings the credit song but still, only side characters get the chance to sing.

I also take issue that Thunderella’s song, which is like a hopeful self empowerment and existential song is done BEFORE HER NAME IS GIVEN. I don’t know this character yet so I can’t feel for her through this cheesy song. They are so old and dated sounding it’s insulting to my rotting mind.

Snow White bitch slapping Lord Maliss Happily Ever After picture image

Snow White bitch slapping Lord Maliss

I would bet that Happily Ever After’s budget went to hiring the voice talent, which have some heavy hitters but it neglected the animation, writing and everything else. This movie is a massive fail.

And just to insult the viewer more, Scowl gets top billing. I really loath this movie.

Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Ferngully: The Last Rainforest

Ferngully: The Last Rainforest is one those movies that has a lot of nostalgic power, if you loved  it as a kid you probably still love it. I for my part only saw a trailer when I was a kid so it has no nostalgic meaning for me.

It was made by Fai Films in 1992 and was Australian-American venture, which is why the film itself is set in Australia. It was produced by 20th Century Fox. Nostalgia aside how is this movie, well it’s pretty in parts but it’s not that that good.

Zak and Crysta Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Zak and Crysta

The large bulk of the story is a culture clash between fairies and man or nature vs man. The Fairies of Ferngully, the supposed last rainforest, live all happy and believe humans are long gone.

But one day, fairy princess/ magic trainee, Crysta sees smokes and learn that humans are still around. She shrinks one called, Zack, wait I mean Zak with a K and no C, who is marking trees to be chopped for what looks like lumber. Crysta does not understand what Zak was doing but he lies about it. Crysta and Zak form a attachment but because mainstream movies need a plot there is Hexxus, played by Tim Curry.

Hexxus is a spirit of chaos or something that feeds on pollution. Magi Lune, Crysta’s magic teacher, trapped him in a tree ages ago but the human chopped the tree down freeing him. Hexxus then feeds off the tree cutter machine, called the leveler, and somehow convinces the drivers of the leveler to go to Ferngully because we need conflict.

Anyway, Zak is revealed as a liar, Hexxus comes and is scary, Zak along with Batty (a bat that escape form a biology lab), stops the leveler by turning it off which cuts off Hexxus’ power supply but then for I don’t why Hexxus’ powers go over 9000 and gets really scary but Crysta uses the power of creation in seeds, i.e. Magic BS and seals Hexxus in another tree. Crysta un-shrinks Zak and yay one very localized Rain Forest is safe, for now. YAY!

Zak and the Sexual yet Hungry Goanna Lizard Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Zak and a Sexual yet Hungry Goanna Lizard

There is not much to plot outside one culture’s stance vs another. It a preachy environmental movie. The pacing is also very stagnated, it kind of hops from part to part with no fluidity. It is very annoying.

Zak Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Zak

Ferngully also hasn’t aged well either and I don’t mean the animation, I mean it’s very 90’s. Zak is super 90’s, it’s almost painful. The talk about about Crysta being ‘one bodacious babe‘ is just cringe worthy. It’s pretty jarring since that’s all there is to Zak’s character and he’s on screen a lot.

Also a side note, no one has an Australian accent, no one.

Batty Koda, Crysta, and Zak Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Batty Koda, Crysta, and Zak

Speaking of the characters, there isn’t much to them. Zak is 90’s but I don’t find him likable. Magi Lune is ok but bland. Batty, Batty, Batty, he was Robin Williams. No disrespect or anything but Batty Koda was a little more than annoying. Pips was Mr Friend-zone and didn’t have a personality outside of jealous. Hexxus was overtly sexual, so he was basically Tim Curry.

Hexxus  Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Hexxus

Speaking of Hexxus, what is he? At the start, Magi Lune said that he came from Earth and was spirit of Chaos but Hexxus seems to need pollution, so what did he consume when the humans lived with the fairies in the forest? I’m confused.

Also what is Hexxus’ motivation? Why does he want to destroy Ferngully outside the plot needs it? I don’t get it. If he was pissed about being imprisoned shouldn’t he want revenge on the one who imprisoned him. Personally, if I was a chaotic toxic thing, I would just be chaotic and not worry about revenge.

Also it’s a good thing those drivers were so stupid to listen to Hexxus or we wouldn’t have had a third act. Why did they just listen to him? Did Hexxus sound like their boss? Lucky for Hexxus if that is the case. It’s so dumb it hurts.

Crysta Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Crysta

Then we have Crysta, our Princess. Crysta is, umm, she’s…. ummm….. naive, curious and tree loving? Is that a personality? That is about all I get from her and she is the main character. The movie follows her and all I get is curious and naive.

I suppose I could add nice to the mix and slightly silly but that’s it. Ah well it’s still better than most of the other Princesses I have looked at.

Batty Rapping Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Batty Rapping

I will say that the animation is really good. I still think it’s pretty and I do like that the fairies look different than human. Some of the characters design are overly silly but I can overlook that. It’s well animated with vibrant colors and very clean.

Then there is the music, which is pretty bad. The two songs that are memorable are Batty’s rap and Toxic love and they are not memorable in  good ways.

Zak and Crysta Ferngully: The Last Rainforest picture image

Zak and Crysta

Ferngully: The Last Rainforest would be better as a film if the plot was tighter and without all the dated dialogue. When it’s being mythical and magical is very nice but it’s pretty bogus as it is.

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland picture image

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland

At last we come to Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland! Little Nemo was based on the comic from 1905 and was in movie development hell from 1982 to initial release in 1989. It was released in the US in 1992. It was Japanese-American venture and it was the worst experience of Hayao Miyazaki’s professional career when he worked on it. But I’m not here to discuss the behind the scenes, I’m here to review what was shown to me on screen which was an odd combo of mild-surrealism and awkward boringness.

Nemo, Princess Camille, Icarus, Flip and Professor Genius Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland picture image

Nemo, Princess Camille, Icarus, Flip and Professor Genius

Nemo (resisting finding Finding Nemo jokes) is a kid who has a flying squirrel and steals pies in his sleep against his mother’s wishes. He wants to go to the circus but he is made to wait a whole day. The night before he dreams that he is invited to be the royal playmate of Princess Camille of Slumberland. When he gets there is told by King Morpheus (resisting Matrix jokes) that Nemo is to be heir and he gives him a key to a door he is to never open.

Nemo meets Camille and they have some fun and then Nemo meets Flip who likes mischief.

Flip and Nemo find the door Nemo isn’t supposed to  be opened but Flip convinces Nemo to open it and the Nightmare King escapes. During Nemo’s coronation the Nightmare king kidnaps Morpheus. Nemo then wakes up in his room but he is still in the dream.

Since Nemo is the only other person who can use Morpheus’s scepter, Nemo gets a recuse party together to save the king. This party consists of Professor Genius, Camille and Flip who has a map of Nightmare land. The map gets ruin though but it’s ok because they meet some nice goblins who are going to the Nightmare castle to save their friend.

Things go wrong when they are attacked and everyone captured because Nemo doesn’t know the words to make the scepter work. Nemo wakes up in his bed for a second time but this time the goblins are with him, so he is still in the dream (resisting Inception jokes). The goblins’ friend shows up and gives Nemo a note from Morpheus which are the magic words. Nemo defeats the Nightmare King and all of Slumberland is happy. Nemo and Camille has a sweet little kiss and Nemo wakes up for real this time and apologizes to his mother about stealing the pie and then he gets ready for the circus, Hot Dog.

The Nightmare King Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland picture image

The Nightmare King

So what is wrong with this movie? Besides being a dream, the only things that imaginative and weird about it, is that Slumberland looks like a circus. The movie plays a fairly straight unsurprising narrative. Even Nightmare land isn’t all that imaginative. The nightmare king has a cool design but he looks like the Chernobog from Fantasia. I mean there are some interesting imagery like the upside down room in the castle but not too much. It’s just not very dream-like at all. Except at the very beginning with Nemo first flying bed dream.

I wish the ending made it unclear if it was really a dream or not but the ending was quite clear that it was all a dream about how Nemo should keep promises. Really it was about the pie that Nemo tried to steal the start of the movie.

 Princess Camille, Flip, Nemo, Icarus, and Professor Genius Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland picture image

Princess Camille, Flip, Nemo, Icarus, and Professor Genius

Then will have other characters who are also not that imaginative. Nemo is happy and has insipid dialogue like yay and yippie. Professor Genius is there. The Goblins are annoying. Flip is a little more interesting but I really don’t like him or understand him. The Squirrel, Icarus is also annoying.

Princess Camille Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland picture image

Princess Camille

Then we have our token Princess, Camille. Camille is a weird combination of haughty and nice. I would say that this more her interesting as character but I think it’s just inconsistent writing. Still, at least it’s something, I don’t normally point to inconsistent writing a positive but here I am. Unless she was like that in the comics.

Also her accent switches between British and American like every other line. It’s very jarring.

Morpheus and Professor Genius awkward dancing Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland picture image

Morpheus and Professor Genius awkward dancing

I will say on the whole, the animation is nice although the colors could have been more vibrant but it wasn’t bad. Though the dancing during the coronation was painfully awkward.

Also aside from the forgettable songs the background music was lovely. The music that played when Morpheus gave Nemo the key was my favorite.

Nemo and the Good Goblins Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland picture image

Nemo and the Good Goblins

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is fairly meh as a movie. And really the whole thing boils down to pies, which are delicious.

The Nutcracker Prince picture image

The Nutcracker Prince

The Nutcracker Prince is from 1990 and is based on the ballet “The Nutcracker,” I know crazy right?

Looking at the cover, I was hesitant about this one, but it was enjoyable. Was it amazing? Not super really but it didn’t make me want to bang my head against my desk repeatedly and that saying something considering the movies I have had to endure.

Clara holding the Nutcracker with Drosselmeier The Nutcracker Prince picture image

Clara holding the Nutcracker with Drosselmeier

The movie takes place in 1850, Germany. Clara is a young-ish girl maybe 10 or 12 year old. She is at cusp of adulthood but still favors childhood as she mocks her sister’s romantic notions for young men. Clara is given a Nutcracker by a toy making friend, Drosselmeier.

Drosselmeiertells her the story of how he and his nephew, Hans, worked at a castle. After eating the King’s cake, The Mouse queen curses the Princess into being ugly. Drosselmeier learns that only way to cure the Princess’ ugliness is with the Krakatooth nut and some steps backwards. The King declares that one who can cure her will win her hand in marriage. Many try but Hans cracks the nut with his teeth but as he is completing the spell the Mouse Queen changes him in to the Nutcracker doll. As Hans falls, he cause a statue to fall which kills the Mouse Queen as well a ruining Mouse Prince’s tail. The new Mouse King vows revenge for his tail.

That night as everyone else sleeps, Clara goes to Nutcracker and her toys come alive. Now, that the Nutcracker is alive the Mouse King attacks. This part takes up much of the movie and there is question as to did it really happen or is all Clara’s musing. In the end Clara, along with the dolls, Marie, Trudy and Platoon help The Nutcracker, who is considered to be the Princes of Dolls, to defeat the Mouse King.

Then they all go to Land of Dolls, which a very pretty place. The Nutcracker Prince asks Clara to stay with him as his Princess but she declines as she still wants to grow up. At her rejection, the dolls lose their life-like spark and revert to mere dolls. Clara awakes in her bed and rushes over to Drosselmeier and asks if the whole this was real or not. Drosselmeier introduces her to his nephew, Hans, who greets her familiarly and she greets him as “Nutcracker.”

Clara with the Nutcracker Prince The Nutcracker Prince picture image

Clara with the Nutcracker Prince

One thing I really enjoyed about this movie, aside from the background music, is the lesson. A lot movies try to say that childhood is awesome and others say that you should grown up but this movie takes a elegant middle ground.

Clara at the starts the movie by rejecting grown-up convention, like romance but by the end of the movie by embracing childhood, in this case playing with dolls, she can accepts adulthood.

This is evident but her using her sister’s wording in complimenting the Nutcracker and also with her more grow-up gown. It was just a nice little sentiment in a film that you rarely see and it’s done well.

Clara meeting Hans The Nutcracker Prince picture image

Clara meeting Hans

 

I also like how the film blurs the lines if this was all in Clara’s head or if it was real but since this is a children movie and not a psychological drama, I’m going to say it was real. Especially because of the ending scene with Hans addressing her so familiarly.

The Mouse King The Nutcracker Prince picture image

The Mouse King

 

As for the characters, they only one with anything to them is Clara. The other characters are nice but aside from Drosselmeier, who has a great mysterious vibe, they are all just there and nice. Then again, this movie is more of a mood piece, so I forgive it a bit.

 

Clara The Nutcracker Prince picture image

Clara

Clara is an active girl who has dreams and ambitions, she wants to join a ballet but she she doesn’t want to grow-up too quick. She enjoys childhood but at the same time she seems a bit bored with fairy stories. She just seem like a real person which is a good thing. She does a good job leading us through the craziness of the dolls versus the mice all while being likable.

Clara with her kitten, Pavola The Nutcracker Prince picture image

Clara with her kitten, Pavola

The Nutcracker Prince is a nice little Christmas movie that casts a nice happy light on the gray period between childhood and adulthood. The animation isn’t super great but music is wonderful through I didn’t care for the credit song, that 1990’s electronic piano sound is just jarring after hearing the Nutcracker suite for 70 minutes.

Also I would have liked to see or hear the Arabian dance but I’m nitpicking at this point. It wasn’t a bad movie at all. The kitten was also super cute!

Felix the Cat the Movie picture image

Felix the Cat the Movie

 

Felix the Cat The Movie was released in Europe in 1988 but not in the USA until nearly three years later. It was based on the The Felix the Cat cartoons from 1919. This movie was an attempt at a revival which didn’t work. Why didn’t work? Because this movie is pointless!

It’s just weird and turns sane minds to mush. Although, if I were to grade on a curve of all the non-Disney Princess movies I have subjected myself to so far, I would rather watch this one over Gulliver’s Travels or The Singing Princess. Not high praise but still.

Felix, Oriana, and Pim Felix the Cat the Movie picture image

Felix, Oriana, and Pim

Plot, because there is one. The Kingdom of Oriana is under attack by the Duke of Zill. The ruler of Oriana, Princess Oriana tries to escape by using the Dimensporter, a dimensional transporter, but she is caught by Zill’s evil robotic Cylinders that look like paint cans. As she is being dragged off she sheds a magic tear that goes through the Dimensporter and finds Felix the Cat.

Felix the Cat is a talking cat with a magic bag that can transform into anything. The rules and limits of the bag are never explain so just don’t think about. Felix follows the tear back through the Dimensporter and he sees a vision of Oriana as the tears fades away. Also I should note, Felix is being followed by two scientists who want his bag.

After dealing with some weird fish, Felix lands in the Land of Zill where he meets Pim, think wild west prospector. Pim double crosses Felix and takes him to Wack Lizardi’s circus. Wack is also a lackey of The Duke of Zill. Felix is then made an attraction at the circus because of the bag. Princess Oriana is also an attraction with her woeful bubble dance, she dances in a bubble.

Felix enlists the help of two lizard-mice, Mizzards to eat through the wall of his cell so he can talk to Oriana. Oriana tells him that the Duke of Zill is her uncle and he wants the Book of Ultimate power. Felix tells her that are going to escape together.

During the next performance, Felix convinces Wack to let him play the music while Oriana dances. He then creates a lot of bubbles and he, Oriana, Pim who is good now, and the Mizzards all escape.

As they flee towards the Kingdom of Oriana, Felix loses his bag but are they joined by the two scientists who found it and Felix gets it back and the scientists who are called the Professor and Poindexter, join the party. Then they go through the hair forest and they are attacked by head hunters or flying demons heads which are subdued by hats.

When they get to Oriana they are caught by Zill. Zill threatens everyone so Oriana surrenders the Book of Ultimate Power, which says the ultimate power is “Truth, Love, and Wisdom.” Unhappy, Zill unleashes the Master Cylinder on them but Felix defeats it by, I kid you not, by throwing the book at it. In the end Felix and the scientists go back home through the Dimenspoter.

Felix with the bag as scuba gear Felix the Cat the Movie picture image

Felix with the bag as scuba gear

This movie is very trippy and weird. I suppose it could have been more trippy and weird though. The trouble with it is we don’t have the sane character to walk us through the craziness. So it’s just crazy and more crazy. It should have been a fish out of water tale but Felix fits into this world too well. Everyone is weird. But then again we really don’t have characters as none of them have personalities.

Felix laughing at a skull Felix the Cat the Movie picture image

Felix laughing at a skull

Felix is nice though he mean to the dead. All he really does that gives a shade of a personality is makes puns. That’s it. If you like puns this movie will kill that love. I’m not sure what Pim’s deal is. The scientists just want the bag and they also make puns. Zill wants power. 78 minutes and that’s all I can get out of the characters.

Princess Oriana dancing  in the bubble Felix the Cat the Moviepicture image

Princess Oriana dancing in the bubble

Then we have our token Princess, Oriana. She is only a Princess in name as she’s actually a Queen. But the term Queen is used for evil crones, so we have to call her Princess. I’m just going to roll my eyes.

Oriana is  nice, slightly self-defacing and an idiot. Her country is attacked when she disbands the army even though she knew her Uncle wanted her Kingdom, or Queendom, but she’s Princess so I guess Oriana is Princessipality. Like the other characters there isn’t much to her.

Felix with Pim on a Cylinder  Felix the Cat the Movie picture image

Felix with Pim on a Cylinder

So this movie doesn’t have lasting memorable characters but how are technicals? Not very good. I mean there is a some weird animation but on the whole it’s not too great. However, where this movie really stinks is the sound mixing. The sound effects are a lot louder than the dialogue, which isn’t great either but would have been nice to hear.

Lizards of Zill singing Who is the Boss? Felix the Cat the Movie picture image

Lizards of Zill singing Who is the Boss?

I will say that I didn’t hate one song. I kind of liked Who is the Boss, which is a song they sing at the circus about how great Zill is. It just so 80s I can’t help it. I mean it’s stupid but delightfully so.

Felix meet Oriana's tear along with the bag in its normal state  Felix the Cat the Movie picture image

Felix meet Oriana’s tear along with the bag in its normal state.

Felix the Cat the Movie is loud, trippy, weird and outright stupid. It’s not the worse movie in the world but it is quite, quite, quite, annoying.

3D head of Felix Felix the Cat the Movie picture image

3D head of Felix

Isn’t this the stuff of Nightmares?

Castle in the Sky picture image

Castle in the Sky

Of all the Studio Ghibli movies without a doubt, Castle in the Sky is my favorite. It was made in 1986.

Like with Nausicaa, I watched this in Japanese with subtitles.

Pazu seeing Sheeta floating down from the sky Castle in the Sky picture image

Pazu seeing Sheeta floating down from the sky

Castle in Sky tells the story of a girl named Sheeta who is being pursued by the army who is working with an ambitious government agent and Air-Pirates. They are all after her because her amulet which can lead them to a magical floating island, called Laputa, that hold not only great treasure by great power.

Sheeta meets and is aided by Pazu, a boy roughly Sheeta’s age who works for miners. Pazu also wants to find Laputa as his father saw it but was called a liar.

It is also reveled that Sheeta and the govenment agent, Muska, are descended from the Laputa’s royal family. Sheeta and Pazu have to stop Muska before he uses Laputa to take over the world.

Dola's Pirates with their booty Castle in the Sky picture image

Dola’s Pirates with their booty

This movie pretty much has something for every one; you have action, adventure, mysterious, humor, romance, pirates, airships, robots, yaks, you know everything you could ever want in a movie. It’s perfect!

Pazu and Sheeta seeing Laputa Castle in the Sky picture image

Pazu and Sheeta seeing Laputa

When it comes down it, very subjectively, I like the dynamic of the two main characters’ relationship, you know, the princess and the poor boy love story. Aladdin has it as well as my favorite video game, Final Fantasy IX, which also features a mysterious crystal that people are after, not lying Castle in Sky reminds me a lot of Final Fantasy IX which is one of the reasons I love it as much as I do.

And just for the record, I didn’t like The Notebook, which also has this type of romance. But even if you are not a fan of that type of romance, the movie just has a lot of great characters.

Dola, the leader of the Air-pirates Castle in the Sky picture image

Dola, the leader of the Air-pirates

Pazu is an honest, hardworking hero who is very genuine and resourceful. He is very devoted to Sheeta. The Pirates are a lot fun. Dola is awesome. Our villain, Muska is calm and elegant till he goes all power mad derstorying things because he just wants to take over the world as he think it’s befits his birthright. Clear motivations for the win.

Muska and Sheeta Castle in the Sky picture image

Muska and Sheeta

Though I will admit he is a be of a creeper toward Sheeta. It’s sort of implied that he means to use her to carry on the Laputa royal family. The pirates are also little infatuated with her too but more innocently. Still, she’s like 12.

Sheeta Castle in the Sky picture image

Sheeta

Speaking of Sheeta, our Princess in this semi-non-Disney Princess movie. Sheeta is sweet for the most part but she does knock out Muska out before she says anything, so she is active. She is also smart and resourceful.

Pazu and Sheeta seeing Laputa Castle in the Sky picture image

Pazu and Sheeta seeing Laputa

Even if you don’t like great characters in your movies, though I don’t why you wouldn’t, the animation is stunning. The flying scenes are great. And the glowing rocks in the cave were breathing-taking. And the scenes when Pazu and Sheeta first arrive on Laputa are too pretty.

The music is also lovely, I love the ending song. It’s wonderful!

Pazu and Sheeta escape from the pirates on a train Castle in the Sky picture image

Pazu and Sheeta escape from the pirates on a train

Castle in the Sky is a classic adventure tale with a lot great characters, charm and beautiful animation. I really do love this movie but it’s harder to gush about a movie than it is ripping it a new one. Then again, it’s way easier and a lot more fun to a watch good movies, I could get used to reviewing good movies! What’s the next movie I have to review?

Felix the Cat  picture image

Felix the Cat

Cries……..

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind picture image

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a 1984 movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Just for the record, any film that falls under the Studio Ghibli banner is released and dubbed by Dinsey but I do not consider them “Disney movies” and Nausicaa is certainly not your typical princess movie. I watched this in Japanese with subtitles.

Nausicaa using an insect charm Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind picture image

Nausicaa using an insect charm

The movie tells the story of a Nausciaa, the Princess of the Valley of the Wind, a peaceful place that exists in the shadow of the Toxic Jungle, also called the Sea of Decay or Sea of Corruption. The Sea of Decay is lethal to humans but Nausicaa enjoy wandering inside with a mask on. She even loves the bugs that dwell and protect it.

Nausicaa and her people get mixed up in a confrontation when a Tolmekian airship crashes in the Valley, caring both the hostage Princess of Pejite and an ancient biological weapon. The Princess dies but she asks Nausicaa to burn the weapon which doesn’t burn. After that Tolmekia comes with their Princess Kushana. Kushana plans to use the biological weapon called a Giant Warrior to burn the Sea of Decay. She also plans to take over the valley and Nausicaa’s bed-ridden father is murdered which causes Nausicaa to go into a murderous rage.

As Nausicaa claims down, she submits to Kushana as she doesn’t want anymore deaths. Kushana makes Nausicaa and 5 hostages to go with her back Tolmekia. However as they are on route, they are attacked and Nausicaa, Kushana and the hostages crash land into the Sea of Decay and on an Ohmu nest. Ohmu are very large bugs that protect the Sea of Decay and attack when they are enraged. They do not attack Nausicaa instead they communicate with her via their gold tentacles that the one who attacked them is in danger. So she goes to help. She saves the him but they fall into quicksand.

Nausicaa wakes up under the Sea of Decay and meets Asbel of Pejite, brother of the princess who died in the crash. They learn that the Sea of Decay is actually purifying the polluted Earth. The two manage to make it out of the underground on Nausicaa glider and go to Pejite, which has been abandoned.

An airship that is carrying the survivors of Pejite comes down and Nausicaa learns that the Valley is in great danger as the Pejite plans to use the Ohmu to destroy the Tolmekians and the Valley will be  destroyed in the process. Nausicaa tries to get away but she is capture. Asbel’s mother has a girl switch places with Nausicaa so she can escape.

Nausicaa learns that Pejite are using a captured baby Ohmu to incite the large incets’ rage. Nausicaa stops the pilots and gets her dress stained in the blood of the little Ohmu as it tries to reach its kind across an acid lake.

As the Ohmu advance on the Tolmekia, Kushana uses the Gaint Warrior to attack but it not mature enough and rots away.

Nausicaa the faces the Ohmu herd with the baby Ohmu. But they are so blind by rage that she stains fatal injurgies. Her sacrifice sooth them. The Ohmu use their golden tentacles to give heal Nausicaa. As she stands on the golden tentacles in her deep blue dress that was dyed by the Ohmu’s blood she fulfills a prophesy. After that the Tolmekians and the Ohmu leave and the People of the Valley and Pejite rebuild. The film ends with a small tree growing under underground, showing the healing of the world.

Nausicaa not wearing a mask in the Sea of Decay Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind picture image

Nausicaa not wearing a mask in the Sea of Decay

The first time I saw this movie it was after  I read the Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Graphic novels. Now I loved the graphic novels, they are so rich and complex. Compared to the graphic novels, the movie version is simple. For instance, The Giant Warriors are a much bigger plot point and Kushana is way more fleshed out. But comics can do that and a single movie really can’t. So I will not discuss the movie against the comic but if you do like the movie but haven’t read graphic novel, I highly recommend them. They’re so good!

 

Old Giant Warrior Ruin   Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind picture image

Old Giant Warrior Ruin

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a solid movie. It has a lot of great action moments, some beautiful shots and some lovely animation. One of its strenghts is the world building, you really come to understand this world however all the world building with the war, Prophesies, The Sea Decay, Bugs and an ancient doomsday weapons comes at a count.

Like I said, The Giant Warrior is established but didn’t really amount to much in the end aside from some neat animation and a looming threat. And because of  the focus on the world,  the only character that really gets developed is Nausicaa.

Nausicaa in the Sea of Decay Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind picture image

Nausicaa in the Sea of Decay

As far as princesses, go Nausicaa is very different. Nausicaa is a pacifist, warrior, naturalist princess. She shows empathy for all things and is a take charge sort but she is never demanding or pushy. She is active and has agency.  She is unconcerned about love or her appearance. She is however concerned with her people and the Earth. This makes her very refreshing and an all-around interesting character.

Princess Kushana Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind picture image

Princess Kushana

Nausicaa’s counterpart, Kushana is much like her but her methods are different. Kushana and Nausicaa are two sides the same coin. Kushana grew up in a milarty state so she is cold, hard and more demanding. However, like Nausicaa she cares for her people and thinks she is justified in her actions. She also doesn’t care about love or her appearance. She is also refreshing and had she is interesting even if her role is really just the antagonist.

Nausicaa on the golden field Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind picture image

Nausicaa on the golden field a.k.a Ohmu tentacles

Another aspect that is refreshing is the prophesy. Tons of movies have prophesies and chosen ones. This movie establishes that the Valley has this prophesy of one clad in blue descending from a golden field. It never points to anyone but of course Nausicaa fulfills it but it not a big deal to her it just is allowed to happen and it’s allowed to be a beautiful moment.

Nausicaa encounters  an Ohmu Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind picture image

Nausicaa encounters an Ohmu

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind adheres too much to one character and the world  which makes for an unsteady movie narrative. Is it a bad movie? No, not at all, it’s defiantly a solid, entertaining and lovely movie. Plus, the sitar sound when you see the Ohmu is so cool.

The Flight of Dragons picture image

The Flight of Dragons

When I was trying to come up with a list for these non-Disney Princess movie reviews, I was one short of having a nice schedule that would fill the last thursday in a month (exact month withheld) and after doing a little research I found The Flight Of Dragons.

Flight of Dragons was produced by my old nemesis Rankin/Bass Productions. It was first released as a direct-to-video in 1982 and then aired on ABC in 1986. As of 2009, it’s a made-to-order DVD. Now doesn’t that speak of quality? I’m not going sugar-coat this, The Flight of Dragons, despite its epic sounding title, is a boring turd of a movie.

Really, I can and should for the  limited amount of sanity I have left, stop the review here but here we go.

Gorbash, Peter Dickinson and Princess Milisande The Flight of Dragons picture image

Gorbash, Peter Dickinson and Princess Milisande

The plot is needless complex despite the fact that very little happens. The green wizard, Carolinius, sees that the world is losing magic because of science. He contacts the league of super losers, erm his wizard pals. He proposes that they should create a secret magic haven for all magical creatures, where science and logic can’t hurt them or something.

The evil red demonic one, Ommadon, thinks this idea stupid and decides that he should take over the world, he’s my favorite character so far. The other wizards decide that they need defeat him by taking his ugly crown as it’s the source of his power but they can’t fight directly because of wizard rules, seriously. Carolinus decides that his dragon Gorbash and some creepy knight will be in the quest to get the crown however the rules requires three people because of reasons. The two other wizards offer magic items that will be used later in the movie.

Carolinus asks Antiquity, which is some all knowing super thing for the third person. They get some science guy descendent from Boston Massachusetts, specifically from Beacon Street. Though, I’m not sure why that matters since we only see a pawn shop. His name is Peter Dickinson (giggles) and he is writing a book and made a game called Flight of Dragons, he is also some kind of science guy but prefers thinking about dragons. Anyway, he gets transported to the magic world and is happy to go on a quest, though he is happier to see dragons and to meet Carolinius’ pretty but oh so bland adopted daughter Princess Milisande.

Anyway, Ommadon attacks and Peter gets merged into Gorbash’s body. So Peter, who is now a dragon and creepy knight guy, Orrin, along with an older dragon named Smrgol, go off on their quest. We then get long dialogues about dragon flight mechanics. Melisande uses her powers to basically watch them for Carolinus. The gang is joined by a wolf, an elf and pretty lady. They get attack by an ogre and Smrgol dies.

They then get Ommadon’s domain and they use the magic items to defect Ommadon’s convoy of dragons a.k.a the Flight of Dragons. They do this by using a flute to put the dragons to sleep including Gorbash/Peter. The only dragon not affect is Ommadon’s evil dragon, Bryagh, who kills everyone. Peter escapes Gorbash’s body because of science and defeats Ommadon by rejecting magic and listing science disciplines. Everyone comes back to life but Peter is rejected from the magic world. Milisande decides to join Peter in un-magical Boston. The end.

Smrgol and Peter/Gorbash The Flight of Dragons picture image

Smrgol and Peter/Gorbash

A lot of this movie is explaining stuff. Movies are a visual medium, show, don’t tell. All the exposition bogs down the narrative and makes it boring and dull. By the 6 minute mark, I knew this was a snooze-fest. That shouldn’t happen. I shouldn’t feel like napping after less than 10 minutes.

Princess Milisande, Peter Dickinson, and Carolinius The Flight of Dragons picture image

Princess Milisande, Peter Dickinson, and Carolinius

Then we have the characters. Most of them are bland. I do not get Peter at all. At the start he seemed to enjoy magical stuff and was bored of science but then he loved science and is all smug about using it to Ommadon. Also, I’m not sure what discipline he studied. He mentions labs, grants and research, fuck about just telling us what specifically he actually studied. Bad writing! I suppose from context it would be chemistry.

Then we have the creepy knight, Orrin, who vowed to fall in love with Milisande when she was 5 years old, ewwww. Milisande herself is bland except for one outburst she has about Carolinius killing her parents and blaming it on demons. That was a wow moment that ended quickly.  After that Milisande spends the rest of the movie in bed and telling Carolinius how the quest is going. Worst Princess ever, wait how is she a Princess again? At least I get Ommadon, he’s evil.

Ommadon The Flight of Dragons picture image

Ommadon

Animation is crap in this movie. Like grade-C poo, it’s terrible. It’s not good enough to be Grade-A Poo. I have nothing else to add except that it looks dated even for the early 80s and I don’t even think they gave a shit because they spent more time writing about dragons flying then showing them fly.

Princess Milisande The Flight of Dragons picture image

Princess Milisande

The Flight of the Dragon is a boring movie that needless complicates a narrative with exposition at the cost of characters, animation and a visual style. There is a resonable story in here about magic vs science but the overall dulliness won and the film is crap. This movie was better when it was called How to Train Your Dragon.

The Last Unicorn picture image

The Last Unicorn

I have been aware of  The Last Unicorn for many years but till now I had not seen it or knew anything about it. Heck, I thought it was an anime since the most exposure I had to it was cosplayers and the 80’s was a weird time for anime imports.

The Last Unicorn is actually a 1982 American movie done by my old nemesis Rankin/Bass Productions with Japanese animation and it’s a weird movie, very weird.

The Unicorn and Schmendrick The Last Unicorn picture image

The Unicorn and Schmendrick

The plot goes is a unicorn hears that she is the last one of her kind. She learns that a Red Bull herded the unicorns to the ends of the Earth. She decides to leave her enchanted forest to find them. She then get kidnapped by Mommy Fortuna and is put on display at a carnival. The carnival boosts that it has mythological animals however aside from herself and an immortal harpy the attractions are just illusions.

The Unicorn is helped by Schmendrick, an incompetent magician who works for Mommy Fortuna. Schmendrick frees the unicorn and the other animals and the harp kills Mommy Fortuna, it’s ok though because literally Fortuna is asking to be eaten by the harpy, bitch is crazy. We then learn that unicorn being immortal creatures are not capable of love or regret. We also learn that the Red bull maybe a servant of a jerk-face King named Haggard. Schmendrick and the unicorn are then kidnapped by thieves and they pick up another companion Molly, a woman who loves Unicorns.

As they near Haggard’s castle, the Unicorn is assaulted by the Red Bull, Schmendrick uses magic to help and turns her into a human. The party heads to Haggard’s castle and  Schmendrick names the unicorn Lady Amalthea. They meet the King and his son Lir. Lir becomes infatuated with Amalthea but she is confused because of her mortal body but she think she is falling in love and  abandoning her quest.

Haggard tells her that the Unicorns are all in the sea and kept there by the Red Bull. Molly learns the location of the Red Bull’s den. In there Schmendrick tells Lir about Amalthea’s identity and Lir is unswayed, he still loves her. In the end Amalthea is transformed back to a unicorn and she pushes the Red Bull into the sea, the unicorn come back to the land and Haggard’s castle crumbles and he falls into the sea and our fair former Last Unicorn is the only unicorn to know love and regret.

The Unicorn and Mommy Fortuna The Last Unicorn picture image

The Unicorn and Mommy Fortuna

Not going to lie, I enjoyed this movie but it has some issues. Unlike some other movies this one doesn’t feel like it is insulting your intelligence but on the flip side, I think it’s trying way too hard to be smart and thoughtful.

In many ways, it is a nice intelligent tale of identity and love but in many more ways it’s very convoluted like the part with Harpy. It was interesting that Unicorns and Harpies are two sides of the same coin but nothing more was done with that idea and the whole scene with Fortuna’s death or those who can see unicorn are those who seek them out are never fleshed out.

Things are talked about but not really explain because of the overall quest to find the unicorns which in it of itself is quick. I mean they meet with few obstacles on their quests.

Lady Amalthea a.k.a The Unicorn's Human Form The Last Unicorn picture image

Lady Amalthea a.k.a The Unicorn’s Human Form

The characters are both interesting and very flat. Let’s just take our main character the Unicorn a.k.a Lady Amalthea. Her motivation is to find out what happened to the other unicorns, admirable, although she seems to really only want to prove those two random guys at the start of the movie wrong.

Outside her identity crisis, she doesn’t have much of a character, which I think is the point as part of her noble immortal persona and that would have worked if the rest of the character had personalities. Schmendrick sort of has one but it’s bland.

Lady Amalthea a.k.a The Unicorn's Human Form The Last Unicorn picture image

Lady Amalthea a.k.a The Unicorn’s Human Form

Speaking of bland, the songs and animation are quite bland. There are some cool shots and interesting designs but on the whole it’s bland. The songs are nice but forgettable. Though Amalthea’s song about being a woman was a little silly in it’s unintentional subject matter.

The Unicorn and The Red Bull The Last Unicorn picture image

The Unicorn and The Red Bull

Returning to the plot, the plot is overly simple but many thing were not explained very well. For instance what is the Red Bull? I get he some fire elements that works for King Haggard but what is it? How did Haggard create it? Is it only function herding Unicorns into the sea? And that is another issue, Why are unicorns scared of the Red Bull? Why is Haggard’s master plan having the unicorn in the sea? Why don’t the unicorn go across the sea or to a different shore?

I don’t care if some or all of these points were explained in the book, the main narrative could have explained these points as it was simple enough but it didn’t.

Lady Amalthea and Molly Grue The Last Unicorn picture image

Lady Amalthea and Molly Grue

The Last Unicorn is weird mix of simplicity and overly convoluted with bland yet likable characters and interesting ideas but with all that said I enjoyed with movie. It’s watchable and engaging even with all its issues.

And Don’t Forget The Red Bull says that to herd Unicorns to sea you need the  revitalizing power of Red Bull, it gives you wings. Couldn’t resist.

 

The Sea Prince and the Fire Child

The Sea Prince and the Fire Child

The Sea Prince and the Fire Child a.k.a The Legend of Sirius is a 1981 anime movie made by Sanrio. I watched it in the English dubbed. Watching things that are not in their native language can add some issues. I think over the years dubbing has gotten better but I think some of the issues I had with this movie are the result of the dubbing. A note, I’m going with the English names for this review.

Sirius and Malta with the Holy Flame The Sea Prince and the Fire Child Picture image

Sirius and Malta with the Holy Flame

The plot is very much Romeo and Juliet but with the Ocean God and the Fire Goddess being pissed off at each other. The story is Fire and Water used to exist in the same body and were one but also brother and sister. The Wind God, Algorac, grew jealous and told lies about the Ocean God and the Fire Goddess about the other. So pissed were they, that they started a war. Ultimately, Algorac was defeated and lost his power eye and was imprisoned in the Forbidden Zone of the sea. The Ocean God, Oceanus, was given the Algorac’s eye. The Fire Goddess, Hyperia, created the Holy Flame so that the sea will be calm. And thus Water children and Fire children are kept apart.

One day, the Prince of the Sea, Siruis, goes into the Forbidden Zone and meet the Fire child, Princess Malta, who guards the Holy Flame every night. The two fall in love with each other. Sirius tells her that he must leave before dawn as the sun kills children of the water as the water kills children of the fire. They then decide to meet every night at the Holy Flame.

Oceanus gives the Eye of Algorac to Sirius making him the King of the Sea. And some salamander thing wants to be king and causes conflict. Hyperia tells Malta that when the solar ellipse occurs, Malta will be the new Queen of Fire and her duty guarding the Holy Flame will be over thus ending her time with Sirius. Sirius and Malta then learn from a wise sea turtle that during the ellipse a special flowers will bloom for a moment and when they do the blossoms will rises up to a star where Fire and Water live as one. They plan to go there so they can be together.

However a lot of things go down and Malta makes it to the hill but Sirius is too late and the sun kills him. Malta in her grief returns him to the water and dies. Oceanus then retrieves their bodies and lifts them up to the star where they can be  one.

Malta and Piale The Sea Prince and the Fire Child Picture image

Malta and Piale

I left a lot of plot out the synopsis. Sirius and Malta both have loyal friends who die so they can be together. Siruis has Bibble and Malta has Piale. Bibble, I will just say, is annoying but he does a desperate move for Sirius and loses his life so he redeems himself a little.

After Malta and Sirius learn about the hill and the flowers, the Holy Flame goes and Piale urges them to go and Piale become a replacement for the Holy Flame which kills her. While I find both characters annoying, in their deaths they display more depths than our leads.

Sirius and Malta The Sea Prince and the Fire Child Picture image

Sirius and Malta

Sirius and Malta are flat characters. They don’t have much personality. They love each other and that is it. I will say that I do think they truly love each other but it’s kind like “your attractive and forbidden that makes you cute” kind of love. If love is forbidden then that makes the audience care for the couple even if there is no depth. But it’s fine simplicity isn’t bad. Their love is effective for the story.

Fire Goddess Hyperia The Sea Prince and the Fire Child Picture image

Fire Goddess Hyperia

I think the main issue with this movie is that something were not explained very well, or at all. Like the water god and the fire goddess were one but the wind god turned them against each other. How does that work? How did the wind god turn them against each other so easily if they were part of each other? What did they look like when they were one? Are Sirius and Malta cousin? Who is Malta’s father and Sirius’ mother?  Why doesn’t the Forbidden Zone have any guards but Oceanus’ chamber has two? Who guards the Holy Flame by day or does it just need attending at night? Why can’t Malta and Sirius just live in a dark cave?

 Sirius seeing Malta for the first time  The Sea Prince and the Fire Child Picture image

Sirius seeing Malta for the first time

The biggest head starcher is why does Malta look more water-like and Sirius looks more fire-like? I have to assume it was intentional to show that Fire and Water were once one but looking at the characters it’s a little confusing.

It’s still weird that Malta is the only fire child with green hair. At least Bibble has red hair. The character designs are also a little weird, Malta’s in nude but the tail-like things are even stranger.

Sirius and Bibble The Sea Prince and the Fire  Child Picture image

Sirius and Bibble

Despite the bad dubbing, the annoying Bibble, the lack of depth of main characters, slow pacing and the general confusing-ness, I liked The Sea Prince and the Fire Child. It’s a classic tale with some great animation and I admit, I do love forbidden love stories every  once and awhile.