Author: Robert Greenberger

I will stipulate upfront that I am a casual, at best, reader of [[[Manga]]] and barely watch any anime. It does not mean, though, that I am unaware of the essential titles and creators. As a result, I have been aware of [[[Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]] and the work of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. When the Blu-ray edition of the 1984 animated version of this post-apocalyptic became available to review, I seized the opportunity to immerse myself in this classic world. I was not disappointed. It certainly beat trying to read the lengthy Manga that began in 1982 and wrapped finally in 1994. Obviously, the film is based on the earliest chapters and no other anime adaptation has been attempted to complete the tale.

In short, we’re on another world that is more fantasy than science fiction. We open a millennium after the Seven Days of Fire which destroyed the ecosystem. There’s a gas mask-wearing princess (the air is poisoned) and a village being encroached on by something called the [[[Toxic Jungle]]], making this an eco-fable or cautionary tale. And of course, mutated giant insects – every story like this has to have some of those. When an alien craft lands, the story ignites as the new arrivals stir things up for Princess Nausicaa and her neighbors.

The story is a familiar one as people struggle to survive in a world that has turned against them in protest. We get a lot of explication in the early (narrated by Tony Jay) going but once we get past that, things pick up speed. All along, though, the visuals are stunning.

This, I’m told, is old school anime but to a newcomer, it remains a visual feast with strong character designs and imagery. The story is also a struggle in that it’s so on-the-nose with its themes and actions that moments intended to be iconic are just short of laughable. There’s plenty of action and many scenes are set in the skies above the village. Nausicaa loves to fly and tools around in her jet-powered glider called a Möwe. The aerial sequences are most impressive.

The score leaves much to be desired and we’ll leave it at that.

The English language voices are form the 2005 home video release with a cast that includes Alison Lohman, Patrick Stewart, Edward James Olmos, Chris Sarandon, Uma Thurman, Jodi Benson, the immortal Frank Welker, and a young Shia LaBeouf. All give good, solid performances, not overwhelming the story or animation. The high-definition transfer is not perfect but certainly a step up from previous editions according to technical reports.

The disc’s special features offer up the original Japanese storyboards and  a featurette on the production studio, “[[[World of Ghibli]]]”. This includes a subtitled interview with Miyazaki, whose influence is missed, and we learn that the film was pitched first and when rejected, he started the Manga which proved successful enough to get the feature greenlit. There’s another subtitled 30 minute offering from Japan called “The Birth Story of Studio Ghibli” which is a little self-congratulatory. “Behind the Microphone” is eight minutes spotlighting the voice cast.

On the set’s second disc is a lengthy, two hour step-by-step of the film’s storyboards which are a textbook for storytellers and would-be animators.

Walt Disney was a genius on many levels but one that doesn’t get talked about often enough was his way of directly reaching children in gentle and moving ways. He emphasized strong stories and inventive characters, letting the animation style and music convey the emotions. From the title sequence to the first song, “[[[April Shower]]]”, you are transported into the world of [[[Bambi]]]. The latest in Walt Disney Home Entertainment’s long line of high definition restorations, [[[Bambi Diamond Edition]]] is out this week and automatically goes on the Must Have list.

I don’t remember seeing this as a kid, but watching it twice through my children’s’ eyes made this message work across then generations. I’ll tell you upfront that the Blu-ray edition is gorgeous to watch and listen to. Thanks to the patented multi-plane process, the subtle colors and painterly approach to the forest and its denizens have never looked better. Given its emotional wallop about halfway through, it makes sense that the story feels simple but is actually streamlined.

Once we meet Bambi and his mother, we move into the deer’s world. That’s when the cartoony look arrives with the arrival of Thumper. Despite his talkativeness, there are long silent stretches where the score and beautiful scenery get to shine. The flora and fauna are detailed enough to feel real without overwhelming the animals inhabiting the land.  Thumper, the owl, and Flower the skunk are some of the best animals Disney’s Nine Old Men created because they studied the real things as well as young children, finding commonalities that can be used to entrance the young audience.

And when Bambi’s mother dies, the loud crack of the rifle remains one of the most riveting sounds in all cinema. The unseen enemy, man, is not condemned but accepted as one of life’s dangers. As Bambi’s father arrives to take responsibility, he stands majestic, his place in the animal hierarchy secure. Bambi has to grow up sooner than most of his peers but does so and the transition from child to teen to adult is one of the stronger threads holding the film together. (more…)

I first visited Ursula K. LeGuin’s Earthsea series in my Fantasy Literature college course. Her books were short and eloquent, wonderfully transporting me to another place and time. The strength of her work is that is has endured through the years and inspired others. In 2006, Japan’s Studio Ghibli ([[[Princess Mononoke]]]) released their animated adaptation, [[[Tales from Earthsea]]], and it stealthily came to the United States last August via Walt Disney Pictures. Opening so late in the summer season hurt it at the box office, so it is welcome that the DVD release is finally here this week.

The movie doesn’t adapt any one novel but takes elements from the first four books in the series: [[[A Wizard of Earthsea]]],[[[ The Tombs of Atuan]]],[[[ The Farthest Shore]]], and [[[Tehanu]]]. With LeGuin’s blessing, the movie told a relatively new story about Earthsea filled with omens, sorcery, deception, destiny, and a love for the land. To be honest, it’s been so long that I couldn’t recall the source material and was treating the story as something entirely new. Apparently, LeGuin herself was less than thrilled and fans of the books were split.

To be sure, there are dragons, sorcerers, Kings, common folk and Arren, the sword-wielding youth who becomes the focal point of the tale. As he ventures into the countryside, Arren is joined by Sparrowhawk the Archmage, and together they take refuge at the home of Tenar, who is an old friend of the Archmage and caretaker to the young Therru, who has just been rescued by the men.

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In 2000, director Christopher Nolan blew our minds with [[[Memento]]], a story that uses the affliction of anterograde amnesia to play with time and traditional storytelling notions. His sure-handed direction, coupled with Guy Pearce’s compelling performance made the movie grab our attention, hold on to it for nearly two hours, and leave us exhausted. It’s critical and commercial success led to Nolan being offered other films and he has taken every advantage of the opportunity. His work on the [[[Batman]]] franchise has been admirable while [[[The Prestige]]] proved he can tell a more traditional story while the Oscar-nominated [[[Inception]]] once more played with our perceptions of reality.

Lionsgate has released Memento on Blu-ray disc and it looks pretty amazing in high definition and is a worth a second look. Nolan’s brother Jonathan wrote “Memento Mori” as a prose piece before Christopher adapted it as a screenplay. Both tell the story of Leonard, whose troubles began when his wife (Jorja Fox) was murdered. As he tries to determine who killed his spouse, his memory issues complicate his waking hour. Anything he experiences is forgotten within fifteen minutes, giving him a narrow window to ensure he puts the complicated puzzle of his life together. He takes Polaroid pictures, writes in his journal, and fills scraps with detail that he hopes will make sense later. The parallel storylines, with one told in reverse (beginning during the wonderful title sequence), challenges the audience to pay attention to every action, every line of dialogue, and try to see the world through Leonard’s tortured eyes.

He relies on note-taking, covering his body in elegant commentary that literally marks him for life. Without a short-term memory to rely on, Leonard’s steps are hampered with everyone he encounters a potential killer. As a result, one of his few friends Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) winds up a victim of misplaced vengeance with Leonard a hapless bullet aimed by the questionable waitress Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss). Who is at fault, who is the real killer? Leonard struggles to figure it out as the audience rushes to keep up with the twisting storyline.

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Director Tony Scott can always be counted on for visually compelling movies with razor-thin characters. His most recent offering, [[[Unstoppable]]], is now out on DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and makes for a mindless viewing.

The film is based on a true story but was amplified beyond recognition as two train men risk their lives to stop a runaway train under full power before it could destroy lives and property with its toxic cargo. Newcomer Will Colson (Chris Pine, showing more range than his Jim Kirk) is paired with the grizzled veteran Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington, playing the same everyman he played in the remake of [[[Pelham 1-2-3]]]) as they take 1206 out to collect freight cars. At much the same time, careless workmen at a rail yard allow a freight train to get away from them and without the air brakes attached, it becomes a “half-mile long missile” heading into rural Pennsylvania.

Obviously, it’s an action movie so the tension is nicely ratcheted up with fast cuts between the two trainmen, the runaway, the operations center, and the general public. Scott handles this well so you’re deep into the movie before you realize the characters aren’t particularly deep. Colson has family ties to the business, earning him contempt from the veterans, plus is estranged from his wife and son, which preoccupies him. Barnes has seen it all before and knows more than the executive and shows off his know-how time and again, devoting everything to the task at hand despite knowing he is being forced into early retirement in a mere three weeks. Watching them come together to bond and save the day should have been a more rewarding experience.

Rosario Dawson as the train controller is the best supporting player in the film and does a good job with a thankless part.  Everyone else arrived from central casting so the higher-ups and CEO are all clichés, offering nothing diverting to the overall story.

The cookie-cutter feel to the story surfaces now and then but Scott and his editor Chris Lebenzon, keep things briskly moving.

The Blu-ray transferred nicely so looks crisp with good sound. The movie is accompanied by a dry audio commentary from Scott or you could listen to “Tracking the Story” a series of tape recorded conversations between Scott and screenwriter Mark Bomback. The latter should have been more revealing and interesting.

Then there’s “The Fastest Track: Unleashing ‘Unstoppable'”, a 29:41 featurette on the film’s complicated production. Unfortunately, by now there should have been some detail on the true events that launched this jet-fueled version but no one seems interested in reality. “Derailed: Anatomy of a Scene” (10:01) shows how the train derailment moment was prepped and filmed, proving that some things look better in real life than a CGI-generated version. Similarly, “Hanging off the Train: Stunt Work” (14:25) shows how hazardous it can be for the true action heroes. Less interesting is “On the Rails with the Director and Cast” (13:25) as Scott, Washington, Pine, and Dawson talk briefly about making the film.

Entertaining with easy-going performances, this is worth a look.

DC Comics’ All-Star imprint was intended to bring their top talents together with their top characters to produce stories that followed the core concepts of the iconic heroes and villains so the comics would appeal to mainstream audiences. The two titles that made it out, featuring Batman and Superman utterly failed on that account and their irregular publishing schedules meant the audience the books were aimed at couldn’t get into the needed buying rhythm.

[[[All-Star Superman]]] by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely thrilled the core audience with their retro-futuristic take on the characters and settings, winning acclaim and awards. Now, the 12 issue storyline has been neatly compressed into a 76 minute animated feature, out this week from Warner Home Video. Obviously, every bit and piece, every favorite moment, couldn’t possibly be included in Dwayne McDuffie’s script, but he does a fine job boiling the story down to its essence. In short, Lex Luthor has manipulated events from afar, forcing Superman to save a spacecraft that left him over-saturated with solar energy which has increased his amazing array of powers but is also slowly killing him.

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