Robots

-Directed by: Chris Wedge

Robots is not a new story. It's several old stories given a brand new life and new voices by some very familiar people. It tells the tale of Rodney Copperbottom who is a young robot from the country with big dreams. He wants to be an inventor, and thanks to both his family's support and the inspirational words from a tycoon named Big Weld he watches on TV, he sets out to make his dreams come true. Not a bad story really. What saves this film from being really corny is that it's told with such wonderful animation and some really inspired choices for casting. You have Rodney who is voiced by the always entertaining Ewan MacGregor. You have Cappy who is beautiful and wise thanks to Halle Berry. Big Weld marks the animation debut for comic legend Mel Brooks, and finally there's Robin Williams who is at the top of his admittedly insane game as Fender. Plus, you'll hear a host of familiar voices which range from Paula Abdul to Jay Leno. These people make the robots really have hearts of their own, and give the movie more than just the standard animated sugar.

You want Rodney to succeed as he sets out on his quest to do something great. MacGregor gives Rodney a certain earnest charm that will remind you of someone you know and love. When he encounters strife, you are caught up in his search to find a solution. Heck, I even found myself quietly urging him to think it through. It's a movie that allows dreamers a chance to do what they do best and the inner child in us a chance to come out and play. Of course, having Robin Williams certainly doesn't hurt. While he's done some fairly adult things in his career, he is a joy to behold in this movie. He's clever, funny, and while some of the jokes are bad enough to make you groan it's just too fun of a movie to care.

There is some very mild sexual humor in this along with moments of language but it's so brief that you might likely miss it. It's a wonderful choice for a family night movie, and it's a rollicking ride for the whole family.

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn@earthlink.net
Is there a movie you'd like me to review? Let me know!

Finding Neverland

-Directed by: Marc Forster

Starring:
Johnny Depp - James M. Barrie
Kate Winslet - Sylvia


Peter Pan is the boy who would never grow up. His creation in the fabric of literature came from the mind of one extraordinary man who met a group of peerless boys. This is a telling of their story, and that of the life of J.M. Barrie. In a year filled with biographies, Finding Neverland comes to us with a carefully selected cast which is led by our own version of a boy who'd never grow up. His name is Johnny Depp. Depp has made a career out of being eclectic in his selection of roles but both this one, and his turn as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, have made him both a bonafide star and an actor for our time. He has made the family film fun again, and has done so here with a witty grace that endears him to the heart.

The script itself is a carefully written one. There could be the comment made that this film is sugary or contrived, but it cannot be well said for several reasons. The top two are Depp and the always wonderful Kate Winslet. There is a certain connection between her Sylvia and his turn as Barrie that digs deep down and nestles itself into your heart. You like to watch these two interact. Winslet is the perfect straight woman for Depp's humor, and she is the perfect instrument to move you to tears. As the movie progresses, you are touched by her love for her children and a different sort of love she has for the boy who has shown her how to believe again.

Finding Neverland is not a happy movie, but thanks to imaginations and one of the most perfect stories in literature today, it doesn't have to be. It is what it should be. Bittersweet, and a classic which I recommend highly. If you believe in fairies after you see this film, be sure to clap your hands. I know I did.

Finding Neverland is on DVD now.

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn@earthlink.net
Is there a movie you'd like me to review? Let me know!