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One Does Not Simply Walk Into Infinity And Beyond
Words by Shinji Manlangit
Illustration by Rob Cham

Toy Story 3 (2010)
D: Lee Unkrich
S: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Michael Keaton

When I asked my brothers after they saw Toy Story 3 if they cried after the movie, they just shrugged me off and told me that it’s hilarious and not “a sad movie.” I thought about it and realized that even though they’ve seen the first two movies on DVD or on the Disney Channel, they just didn’t grow with the series unlike those of us who saw the first Toy Story in 1995 inside the theater.

Yes, it’s been 15 years since the original Toy Story—but it seems just like yesterday when we first encountered Woody and Buzz Lightyear and secretly wished that our own toys do spring into life when we’re not around.

Andy is now a 17-year-old and is heading off to college. The toys have long been stored inside a toy chest and are scheming out plans to make Andy play with them. Finally, Andy has to pack his things for college and decide whether he would want to store the toys in the attic or donate them to the local day care.

Eventually, Andy decides to bring Woody with him to college (wrong move, bruh) and store everybody else in the attic. The toys end up being thrown away by Andy’s mom, but the toys manage to escape. Thinking that Andy doesn’t care about them anymore, the toys decide to donate themselves to the day care.

The film kicks off its major plot after the toys arrive at Sunnyside Day Care. This little strategy that the film employed allowed the film to be literally filled with colorful toys that are equally endearing like those in the films before. At first, the main boss of Sunnyside, an old sweet-smelling pink teddy bear named Lotso, is welcoming to them, until things turn for the worse when it is revealed that he is really a conniving sonuvabitch.

I’ve heard other critics say that Toy Story 3 is one of the best prison break films of all time—and I have to agree with them. It’s kind of amazing to see how the toys managed to plan everything in a simplistic and playful manner. The sequence where the toys break out of Sunnyside is equally thrilling and hilarious. I’ve always thought of Toy Story as a series about sticking it out with your friends no matter what, and in this particular sequence you can really see the toys shine and work together as a solid unit.

Although the first and second act of the film is all fun and thrills, it’s the third act that shows just what one of the world’s best studios does best—entertain you and then turn you into a puddle of tears on the floor. There’s some allegorical images of hell during the last 20 minutes that really pull some heartstrings inside the theater. Next to Carl and Ellie’s opening montage in Up, it’s probably the most depressing scene Pixar ever made.

But really, it’s during the ending that I really heard some serious sniffles inside the theater. In the book, The Art of Pixar’s Up, there’s a passage that theorizes that Pixar’s first ten movies can be viewed as chapters of life.

“From sibling rivalry, early attachment (Toy Story) and socialization (A Bug’s Life), to maturation (Monsters, Inc.) separation, and parenthood (Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo); from protecting the nuclear family (The Incredibles), shifting out of the fast lane (Cars), and rekindling passion (Ratatouille), to planning for future generations (WALL-E) and finally, accepting death (Up).”

With this in mind, I’d like to think Toy Story 3 is about moving on, and it’s paralleled with the final scene wherein the toys watch Andy’s car disappear into the sunset. What makes the ending such a fitting end to the series is how it shows the joys of playing with our toys, the wonders of being a kid even though you’re old, and the real meaning of friendship. I honestly felt like I was riding in Andy’s car during the end, like even though I don’t have my toys there’s still the memories of being with them. In short, I honestly felt really old.

In a way, this film could also be Pixar’s way of moving the audiences into a whole new era of computer-animated films. Granted that the next film that they’re going to release is the sequel to the rather tepid Cars (the black sheep of Pixar movies), Pixar knows their craft and is sure to surprise us with their future endeavors.

vivafilipinas:

Pearl Farm Resort
Pulo ng Samal, Davao

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Tumblr Blog: - remember this game?!

It’s growing and man! It’s addicting!

pelikula:

Christopher Nolan broke my mind
An Inception comic by Rob Cham

pelikula:

Bending, Bending, Bent 
Words and Illustration by Jansen Musico

The Last Airbender (2010)
D: M. Night Shyamalan
S: Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone 

Perhaps it was my appreciation for Tai Chi and Wu Shu or my deep-seated fascination for the elements that made The Last Airbender less appalling to me than those critics who panned it like it was a travesty to film. Then again, maybe it is? 

The movie is roughly based on the first book of the successful Nickelodeon cartoon trilogy, Avatar: The Last Airbender. It tells the legend of Aang (Noah Ringer) and his quest to bring harmony and balance in the world by mastering all four elements and defeating the power-hungry Fire Nation. Accompanying him is the sister-brother team of Katara (Nicola Peltz) and Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), who released him from his icy prison. Hot on their tails is the banished Prince Zuko (Dev Patel), who does everything in his power to capture the Avatar and restore his name.

For those unacquainted with the cartoon series, the movie is simple enough to follow. As writer, producer, and director, M. Night Shyamalan surprisingly does away with some of his filmic tendencies (ex. “shocking” twists, banal pacing, self-cameos), and this time, he resorts to spoon-feeding. In order to cram a season’s worth of episodes into a movie that barely lasts two hours, Shyamalan relies too heavily on narration, expository dialogue, and cheesy flashbacks with even cheesier cinematography.

As an adaptation, The Last Airbender is quite underwhelming. No wonder fans of the series verbally ripped Shyamalan to shreds. His live action conversion takes away the energy and excitement possessed by its cartoon counterpart. The colors are rendered duller and so are all the characters. The acting is all over the place. One minute they’re glum, in the next shot they’re supposedly filled with emotions. There is a dire lack of harmony as they jump from scene to scene, and I’m not entirely sure it’s the cast’s fault. I’ve seen Dev Patel’s performances in both Skins and Slumdog Millionaire, so I know he can do so much more than just be a static, bitter, emotive mess as the villainous Zuko.

Also in disarray is the music, which is quite peculiar since James Newton Howard did well in The Dark Knight. His compositions are either misplaced or too overt, making the little trivialities of the movie evident for the viewer. Except for that one pivotal scene where the music booms near the end of the film, his efforts are wasted.

By this time, most people would have given up on seeing the trilogy on screen. But I think there is much potential in The Last Airbender franchise. Hopefully, in the hands of another director (preferably Ang Lee or even Alfonso Cuarón), the next two films would bend the series back towards the right direction.

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derangedwriter:

Redford White, Filipino comedian. You will be missed.

Rest in peace.

Do you feel like a man when you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

Face down in the dirt
She said, “This doesn’t hurt.”
She said, “I finally had enough!”

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Kayangan Lake, Palawan, Philippines ♥