TheNorm's Top 5 PIXAR films

There is no denying that PIXAR has become a powerhouse of both animation and storytelling. With no sign of slowing down or losing traction in quality. Granted, they are not necessarily the absolute best in their field nor the most universal (arguably), but they have made a lasting impact nonetheless. I can still remember when their very first film, Toy Story, hit theaters when I was eleven years old. It still ranks as the one movie I have seen in theaters the most number of times, seven in case you were wondering. Over the nearly twenty years of their existence, PIXAR has released many great and memorable films. Here are just a few of them that means the most to me. 

This is TheNorm's Top 5 PIXAR Films. 

#5 

Toy Story 3 

I consider this film to be PIXAR's magnum opus. The one that definitely proved that no story is too challenging or too risky for PIXAR. This is the movie that presented the most challenging narrative for PIXAR, and they pulled it off with flying colors. Not just in terms of story and characterization, but especially in theme and message. Very few family-oriented films have tackled the philosophical questions presented in this movie, and it deserves all the applause it could possibly receive. There is a reason why this film was nominated for both Best Animated Feature and Best Picture at the Oscars. 

Some of you are likely wondering why it is so low on my list. Well, it mainly has to do with the fact that it's a sequel. While this film is still enjoyable on its own, I advise seeing the first two films before watching this one. Much like the Avengers films, Toy Story 3 banks some of its charm on expecting its audience to have seen the first two films. Thereby having already fallen in love with these characters and their world. While you could technically still enjoy this movie by itself, I advise starting with the first two before jumping into this one. 

#4 

WALL-E

PIXAR's most visually striking film. Under the guidance of cinematographer Roger Deakins acting as a visual consultant, WALL-E delivers gorgeous imagery that leaves you breathless. It's narrative about the potential future of humanity is on par with the likes of Asimov. All of which centers around the relationship of the main robot characters, EVE and WALL-E, who are some of the most adorable and lovable robots ever put to the silver screen. Which, I assure you, has nothing to do with the fact that EVE looks like an iPod, and WALL-E looks lie ET. Okay, maybe it does a little bit. 

What keeps this beautiful film from getting hight on my list is, while I still adore it, It's merely not my favorite movie about robots. Yes, this list is about judging PIXAR films, but I still prefer many different films about cyborgs nonetheless. While WALL-E is on my mental list of favorite robot characters, he's just not very high on said list. Even so, I hope this does not make you beautiful readers think any less of this gorgeous movie. 

#3 

Monsters, Inc 

One of the things that make PIXAR stand out is their talent for telling stories from the perspective of parents. Nowhere else is that more evident than in Monsters, Inc. A tale of friendship, love, truth, corporate greed, and the power of laughter (both literally and figuratively). Each and every character feels three dimensional and more human than you might expect. The chemistry between the lead monster and the baby girl is adorable and engrossing. The commentary on unethical business practices and the dangers of single-mindedness is more resonating than in any other film tackling this issue I can think of. It's a near-perfect blend of family entertainment with mature themes. 

While I do love this film, it lands in the #3 spot merely for preferential reasons. I enjoy returning to this film, but not as much as the next two films on my list. 

#2 

Toy Story 2 

This is the movie that absolutely proved to me that PIXAR is genuinely all about the story. Typically when tackling a sequel, there is a tendency to assume that it must be as much like the first film as possible. Consider Men In Black 2 and Ghostbusters 2, for example. However, with Toy Story 2, PIXAR avoided falling into that pit and did everything right. They upped the steaks, expanded the lore, introduced more equally compelling characters, and delved deeper into mature themes such as the nature of existence. Plus, watching Buzz confront another version of his former delusional self was just plain funny! This film showed me that PIXAR meant business when it came to quality in the narrative, and I have appreciated it ever since.  Which, incidentally, brings me to what I consider to be my absolute favorite PIXAR film. 

#1 

Ratatouille

There are plenty of movies that follow the "anyone can be anything" message, but none of them are quite as resonating or as literal as Ratatouille. Which is, for my money, my absolute favorite PIXAR film, because it defines PIXAR in a nutshell. Taking something so unusual and unexpected (in this case, a Rat with a talent for cooking) and creating a provocative story around it. Throw in there some commentary about class, natural ability, and optimism, and you've got a recipe for a damn good film. Not to mention one of the best monologues about criticism from the late Peter O'Toole. Also, this movie always makes me hungry. 

There you have it, folks. My Top 5 PIXAR Films. Tune in soon for my Bottom 5. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading. 

The Banker - Just see it

Christopher Reeve once spoke about the power of film. That it can raise awareness and promote change in all aspects of the human condition, especially in regards to injustice and inequality. In my opinion, the real trick in telling these kinds of stories is striking a balance between informing and entertaining the audience. Because movies are and always will be entertainment first and foremost. We watch movies to escape the real world and all of its ugliness, now more than ever. So if you plan on using the medium of film to tell a relevant story and make a valuable statement, it is crucial to do so in a way that still gives the audience what they paid for. Fortunately for us, The Banker is such a film. An entertaining tale of two people fighting against inequality in their own way. 

Inspired by actual events, the story follows a young prodigy named Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and a successful club owner named Joe Moris (Samuel L. Jackson), who decides to take on a career in real estate. However, to do so, he must have assistance from the bank, which will offer no help to him simply because they're black. Eventually, the two men realize that to make their business work, they need to find a way around the broken (racist) system. They get the idea to take on a young white man named Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult) to pose as the face of their business. Together, they buy a bank and start handing out loans for people of all races to purchase homes and start businesses. The only question is, how far can their plans reach? 

The real strength of the film lies with its writing. The witty dialogue, apt character beats, and robust narrative cohesion make for an entertaining and informative yarn. There are more moments of awe in this film's writing than I was expecting. Every once in a while, I found myself watching a scene, then rewinding it to see it again because it was just that cool. 

In all seriousness, the only aspect about this movie I kind of didn't like is that it's only available on Apple TV streaming service. I am glad that it is available on some platform or another, but this is one of the aspects of digital platforms that bothers me the most. That there is so much great content out there only viewable on multiple streaming services. The good news is that you can still see this film and not subscribe if you so choose. Apple TV has a free one week trial, which you can cancel anytime. My recommendation would be to sign up for the free week-long trial, watch the movie, then promptly cancel the whole thing. Unless you find one or two other things there, which you might be interested in. 

In any case, I do highly recommend this film. It is entertaining, informative, and quite timely. It may not feel like it at times, but progress does march onward. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading. 

Joker - An assault and an insult walk into a bar...

This was a long time coming. When I first saw the trailers for this film, I was not sure if I was going to appreciate it, let alone like it. Because on the surface, it did look like a compelling character study with the backdrop of one of the most iconic villains in comic book history. However, my most significant concern was that at its core was, in actuality, a pale imitation of classic films from the 1970s like Taxi Driver. The more I examined the film, the less interested I became in seeing it. Then came it's theatrical release, along with with the reviews, and the audience reaction, all of which kept me from even giving this film a shot. That is, until today, when I finally hunkered down and rented this film to see what all the fuss was really about. As it turns out, all of my initial fears were correct. Everything about this film, say for the genuinely stellar performance by Joaquin Phoenix and haunting music, this movie is an assault! As in the terrible kind that no one should ever have. 

Taking place in the fictional city of Gotham, which is in the middle of a garbage strike, the story follows a man named Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), who has severe mental health issues. The most difficult of which is a condition that causes him to randomly laugh to the point where it seems to cause him pain. He works as a clown-for-hire, has no social life, is bullied by everyone, and has dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian. All the while struggling to take care of his ailing mother. All of this and more build-up to a massive mental breakdown where Arthur, while dressed in his clown gear, kills some Wallstreet jerks on the Subway. This prompts a city-wide "Anti-Rich" movement causing riots and the like. Arthur, enjoying this level of attention, takes on the mantle of Joker and begins embracing his insanity in the worst possible way. 

Now, there is a lot more to this plot, which I didn't go into, but please believe me when I say that this film has no clue what it's doing. 

As I had feared before, Joker is a mere attempt at capturing the essence and original message of the classic film Taxi Driver. In that, it is a story about the ugliness of society, apathy, and arrogance. All of which are important things to address, and have been in significantly better movies. Joker, on the other hand, pretends to understand what it's talking about, under the assumption that throwing shock value at the audience is enough to pass as "deep." The movie doesn't do anything with an ultimate purpose or meaningful goal, it just does stuff because...Martain Scorsese did it. 

The film's most significant problems are twofold: First, it bashes the audience with visual cues and references to better movies without understanding them. Second, it claimed to be a "real movie" disguised as a comic book movie. 

First of all, if you just paste the style of other more accomplished filmmakers onto your own work, all you're gonna do is call attention to what little skill and talent you have yourself. Second, if you want to make an original movie using familiar characters, then do so. Don't make the film then act like you accomplished something superior to everyone else's hard work. Not only does it make you look arrogant, but it's also just mean spirited and wrong. Finally, the idea that the only way to be taken seriously as an artist is to be dark and gritty and depressing is not only outdated, it's stupid! 

Aside from the genuinely excellent lead performance and the gorgeous music, Joker has no redeeming value. It is an insult to your intelligence, an assault on your emotions, and it has no justifiable reason for any of it. If you've managed to miss this film so far, keep on doing so. You can live a long and happy life, having never seen this atrocity.  

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading. 

Terminator needs more spin-offs not sequels

The Terminator series is one of my all-time favorites. The first two films are bastions of excellently crafted sci-fi action. Many people, including myself at some time or another, have argued that there should never have been any more movies after the masterpiece that is Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Mainly for the reason that, given the films ending, there was no room for any more content. While that has not stopped Hollywood from trying, I would personally argue that there is, in actuality, plenty of space for more Terminator content. The only problem is that those who are in a position to provide said content are continually looking in the wrong places. 

For the sake of keeping everyone on the same page, The Terminator is a science fiction action thriller by visionary filmmaker James Cameron released in 1984. The story follows a young woman named Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who becomes the target of a strange and lethal behemoth known only as The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Fortunately for Sarah, she has a companion in Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who is on a mission to protect Sarah from the mysterious walking machine. As it turns out, he and The Terminator are from the future: when an advanced computer system called Skynet gains self-awareness and decides to destroy all humankind. They are met with resistance lead by Sarah's future son, John Connor, who has become a thorn in Skynet's side. Therefore, Skynet sent one of their machine soldiers back in time to kill John's mother, thereby eliminating the resistance. In response, the opposition sent back one of their soldiers to protect Sarah from The Terminator. In the end, Kyle sacrifices himself to save Sarah, The Terminator is defeated, and Sarah rides off with her unborn son preparing for the impending future of war.

The Terminator is one of the greatest movies ever made. It paved the way for future action films and, to this day, serves as a template for how to construct proper action narratives. By having a sympathetic protagonist whom the audience can relate to in some way or another, the action becomes more visceral and engaging. Also, if you build and photograph the movie in a way that is comprehensive and layered, with rises and falls and fun beats in between, it will add a texture to the narrative, thereby making every victory feel earned and more triumphant. All of this and more was elevated even further in the most surprising sequel ever to grace the silver screen.

Released in 1991, Terminator 2: Judgement Day reigns supreme as one of the best sequels and greatest sci-fi action films ever crafted. It is even surpassing the first movie in some ways. This time around, The Terminator (once again played by Arnold) is reprogrammed by the resistance and sent back to project John Connor as a child. Meanwhile, Skynet has sent back a more advanced and powerful machine known as the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), made of malleable liquid metal. As such, it can morph into any person it chooses and reshapes its limbs into knives and other such deadly weapons. At the end of this film, our heroes succeed in preventing the war from ever happening. Thereby saving all of humanity and providing a blank slate for the future. Incidentally, there is where many people, including myself, agree that the franchise should have ended, or expanded upon in unique and more original ways. 

Sadly, that never happened. 

Every one of these films was utterly terrible, with the slight exception of Terminator: Dark Fate. I say "slight" exception because even though I did mostly enjoy that movie, I still had a ton of issues with the script. Meaning I do recognize that it is just as insultingly awful as all the other Terminator films post-Judgement Day, but at the very least, it had more heart in some areas than any of the others combined. Other than that, all of these movies are insulting to the integrity of the series. 

There are many reasons why these films are terrible. However, except for Terminator: Salvation, I believe that the most significant reason these movies are awful is that they all take place in modern times. Most of these films tried and failed to reboot the franchise for new audiences. They were trying to keep what long term fans loved while bringing in new concepts for younger people, which was their greatest mistake. Aside from the conclusion of Terminator 2: Judgement Day leaving no possible room for a story taking place after those events, there has been a veritable goldmine sitting right in front of Hollywood, which they either ignored or simply didn't see. The time travel concept. 

The entire mythology of the Terminators and their future war against humanity is tied to not only the machine's creation of time travel but their apparent reliance upon it. As suggested in Terminator: Genisys, Skynet used time travel as a last resort to win the war. Why would they just stop at sending one or two soldiers to kill the leader of the resistance? As also suggested in Terminator: Dark Fate, they didn't. They sent back many killing machines as contingencies. So, having established all of that, why would they not also send back terminators to other points of time to further their efforts? 

Here's an example: Let's imagine that for this thought experiment, time is not linear. Instead, time is a continually changing mishmash of realities, continuities, and dimensions, all existing simultaneously. Therefore, if we can accept this idea, at least for the sake of argument, then we can work our way around the one narrative wrinkle that some people have had a problem with forever. That being, if Judgement Day didn't happen, then John Connor would not exist, because he would not have sent Kyle Reese back in time to become his father. Anyway, what if Skynet sent back multiple Terminators to various points in time? A machine sent to the 1700s, one to the 1950s, and so on. There is a multitude of stories that can be told with this concept allowing tons of different settings and themes. Be honest, how awesome would it be to see a Terminator as a Cowboy? 

Art by Ben Munson 

Now, some of you might be thinking, "well, even if we did do something like that, it would still be the same story. A Terminator goes back in time to kill someone related o John Connor, and someone else has to protect that person." Well, you would be right. However, there is no reason for this new story to do any of that. Let's imagine that a Terminator was sent back in time to prevent a specific historical event that could go on to play a significant role in the future war. Say a particular political document or the outcome of a previous ancient battle. Any number of ideas could work in this context with the right creative team behind its conception. 

There is a great deal of space for more Terminator stories. None of which requires the dismissal nor continuation of any of the previous films that came before. With the right amount of creative talent and heart, there can be many Terminator films that retain the same amount of excitement and visceral storytelling as the first two. If only the owners of the franchise would realize it as well as we all do. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading. 

I AM MOTHER - Asimov meets Darwin

Of the many reasons I mostly enjoy science fiction, few are as prominent as this: it makes you ask important (if occasionally uncomfortable) questions. Be they about humanity, society, or the Universe as a whole, a decent sci-fi yarn will cause you to contemplate the human condition in one way or another. Today's Netflix original film, I AM MOTHER, is such a story. Aside from one or two somewhat annoying plot holes here and there, this movie is loaded with symbolism and character beats that provide a robust and intellectually satisfying narrative. How good is this film? Well, it makes subtle nods to Blade Runner. That should give you a clue.

Taking place sometime after a massive extinction-level event, the story follows a Robot dubbed MOTHER (Luke Hawker & Rose Byrne), who is in charge of an enormous facility meant to re-populate Earth. Housing thousands of embryos to be grown and shaped into good human beings. MOTHER starts with one child, a little girl named Daughter (Clara Rugaard), who has been raised into a loving environment by MOTHER, who says the world outside is dangerous due to lethal contagions. Life seems pretty stable until a stranger from the outside, only referred to as Woman (Hilary Swank), makes her way inside the compound. According to this stranger, Robots are the cause of human extinction and attempts to persuade Daughter to escape with her. So begins the journey to uncover the mystery, and to determine who is the real enemy.

This is a well-crafted piece of science fiction cinema. Without spoiling anything, the narrative goes into tight places about morality, nature vs. nurture, and what it might take to renew the world as we know it. While some may find its ideas a little uncomfortable for understandable reasons, I personally found myself engrossed in the ideas it presented. Not necessarily because I agreed with them, but it was all presented in a way that made me contemplate its philosophy. Which is precisely what good science fiction should do. This is not the kind of story that provides clear answers. Instead, it makes you look more inward and think.

The MVP award for the film goes to, without questions, MOTHER herself. The robot suit was built by the WETA Workshop, the special effects team behind Lord of the Rings, and the new Planet of the Apes films. Because of the movie's small budget, the team was only able to build a single suit for the whole production. Designer and physical performer Luke Hawker wore the costume for shooting while actress Rose Byrne provided the voice of the robot. The results are not only a beautifully crafted piece of practical effects but also perfect chemistry between the robot, and the other characters that would never have been accomplished had the robot been CGI. Not to mention a much-desired new case for the defense and superiority of practical effects. Not to say that CGI is horrible, far from it. Instead, CGI is a great tool that has become far too overutilized.

I AM MOTHER is a rare gem of science fiction cinema. It strikes the right balance between being intellectually stimulating and viscerally thrilling. Sci-fi fans will love it, and casual movie buffs will appreciate it. If you need something a little deeper than an excellent brainless action movie to tide you over and give your brain a jolt, this is the movie for you. Check it out.

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.

Holiday in the Wild - Cute, pleasant, and just what the doctor ordered

There are times when for some reason or another, you just want to watch something that makes you feel right. Regardless of a movie's quality or lack thereof, if it provides a pleasant distraction from an otherwise unpleasant situation, then it's just the right tool for the job. Holiday in the Wild is far from a perfect film, but it is precisely the kind of story that we need at present. A heartwarming tale of love, family, and care. Call it cheesy or fuzzy, but don't call it unappreciated. 

The story follows a woman named Kate (Kristin Davis) as a licensed Veterinarian who's son has just gone off to College. Immediately after sending him away, Kat's husband reveals that he is not in love with her anymore and promptly takes off himself. His timing could not have been more terrible as Kate had planned a surprise second Honeymoon in Africa for the two of them. Unsure of what to do, Kate takes the trip herself. Soon after, she meets her tour guide Derek (Rob Lowe), who also happens to work at an Elephant Orphanage/Recovery Center. After the two of them discover a baby Elephant who just lost his mother to poachers, they whisk the young animal away to the center, where Kate decides to stay and help at the center. From there, Kate rediscovers who she wants to be and finds something new and meaningful in her life. 

Objectively speaking, this film is a bit ridiculous—both positively and negatively. On the one hand, it stars two attractive people who aren't acting, but rather are playing exaggerated versions of themselves if not characters which made them famous. The plot is yet another tale of a rich white woman going on what they consider a walkabout. Not to mention it is yet another movie about white savior figures in Africa.

On the other hand, for every issue I just raised, this movie offers a decent counterbalance. Even though the two main leads are not playing actual characters, they both still have a great deal of charisma, which provides most of the film's energy. Although the plot does center around a rich white woman, it has the good sense to make her character intelligent and fully prepared to get her hands dirty, unlike the stereotypical "city girl who never worked before" cliche often found in these kinds of films. Also, and this is especially appreciated; the main characters are not white savior figures. Yes, they are white people in Africa who help out with an important cause, but they are just people joining the fight. Things don't just miraculously get better when Kate arrives, she doesn't wave her money around to "update" the orphanage, and none of the black characters appear incompetent or apathetic.

Holiday in the Wild is just the right amount of warm & fuzzy that we all could use right now. It's pleasant without being childish, intelligent without being condescending, and relevant without being pretentious. If you need a cute "feel-good" movie (as I'm sure we all do right now), give this one a shot. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.

Special: Netflix Month Vol. 2

My beautiful readers, In light of the pandemic known as the Coronavirus, there will be a temporary halt of reviews of new theatrical releases. As attending the movie theaters is not advised at the moment. Rest assured, I eagerly await the moment things become significantly more manageable, and we may continue to enjoy our lives as usual. In the meantime, I would like to encourage all of you to stay safe and healthy. Let us do all that you can to prevent the spread of this terrible disease. Together, we can beat this thing and come out more robust, and maybe a little wiser. 

While we all now have a justifiable excuse to remain indoors and at home as much as possible (albeit for an uncomfortable reason), I think this would be a perfect opportunity for me to revisit a fun and enlightening special. Starting today and going on for at least the next several weeks, I will be reviewing original films found on Netflix. There is a whole universe of movies on this network, and I only scratched the surface last time around. Since we're all stuck at home for a while, it's high time I took another look at what home entertainment has to offer. 

Don't worry. As soon as it is safer to go out into the real world again, I will be back to reviewing theatrical releases. I will also continue with the occasional specialized essays here on my Blog. I intend to provide you all with as much content as possible, given out strange situations. I hope you will all enjoy it. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.