Hercules (1997)

The classic Greek myth gets the full Disney treatment in this film from directing duo Ron Clements & John Musker.

From high on Mount Olympus, Zeus (Rip Torn) and his wife Hera (Samantha Eggar) have just given birth to their son, Hercules. Blessed with god-like strength even as a baby, he is set to become one of the greatest gods ever.

But when god of the underworld Hades (James Woods) learns that in eighteen years time, the planets will align just right to allow him to release the Titans (whom Zeus imprisoned centuries before) and overthrow the gods of Mount Olympus and rule himself, he enlists the help of his servants Pain (Bobcat Goldthwait) and Panic (Matt Frewer) to kidnap the baby god.

You see, in learning of the aligning of the planets, he also learns of the fact that if Hercules fights with the gods, then Hades will fail. His plan is to turn Hercules mortal so that he can be killed.

But when Pain and Panic try to turn Hercules mortal by giving him a potion that will strip him of his godlike strength, their plan goes slightly awry when he doesn't quite drink the whole thing. Even though there is only one drop left in the bottle, it means Hercules retains his godlike strength while at the same time becoming mortal.

And since he is now mortal, he cannot return to Mount Olympus and so must live out his life on earth.

So Hercules (voiced by Josh Keaton as a teenager, and Tate Donovan as an adult) now finds himself in a world in which he doesn't fully belong. He doesn't fit in anywhere, and is in fact an outcast, as his enormous strength coupled with his incredible clumsiness always results in disaster.

When Zeus tells Hercules that he can one day return to Mount Olympus if he can prove himself a true hero, Hercules seeks out the satyr Philoctetes (Danny DeVito) to train him in the ways of a hero.

But when his adventures bring him across the path of a beautiful woman named Meg (Susan Egan) - who may be more than she seems - it might just be enough to bring him undone.

The script, by Ron Clements & John Musker and Donald McEnery & Bob Shaw and Irene Mecchi, is actually quite good. The writers have incorporated numerous references from Greek mythology, while also making the story their own. I love all the small little in-jokes that pop up every now and again, such as a young boy in an emergency shouting to his friend 'Somebody call IX-I-I!"

The music - by Disney regular Alan Menken - is fantastic, perfectly supporting the film at every turn, in the same way as all of Menken's scores do. There is a small handful of songs, with music by Menken and lyrics by David Zippel, and these are also very well written, with very clever rhymes in the lyrics, and unique melodies that work very well.

The voice cast are all superb, but the clear standout has got to be James Woods as Hades. His ability to convey so much with subtle little changes in intonation and expression is wonderful.

Oh, and a note on Hercules here, too. When he sings his big 'I want' number (see some of my other reviews for discussion on this concept), it is actually the voice of Broadway performer Roger Bart (who has also appeared in films and television, but it is on Broadway that he really shines). And his performance is magnificent, and well worth a mention here.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable film that I have probably watched a few more times than some of Disney's other animated films, purely because it is so much fun, and the script so clever.

Directors Clements and Musker have done a great job, and if you haven't seen it yet - or even for a while - I would recommend you check it out.

7 1/2 out of 10.

Dumbo (2019)

Disney’s latest instalment in their long list of live-action remakes of their classic animated movies, this film tells the story of a little elephant who discovers his oversized ears allow him to fly.

Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) has just returned from the war to rejoin the circus that he was a part of with his wife, who has recently passed away. They were acrobats on horseback, but since losing an arm in the war, it seems his career is all but over.

His two children, daughter Milly (Nico Parker) and son Joe (Finley Hobbins) are glad to have him home, but things just aren’t the same now.

Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) gives Holt the task of looking after and training the elephants. He has just recently purchased a large, pregnant female from a dealer, and when she gives birth, everyone is initially very excited.

But when they see that the baby’s ears are exceptionally large, there seems to be little hope for it to ever be a part of the performance. Every time the audience see the young elephant, all they can do is laugh.

The two children don’t give up on the baby elephant so easily, whom they name Dumbo. While spending time with it, trying to bond with it, they realise its enormous ears allow it to fly into the air.

Suddenly, the circus is overwhelmed by sellout crowds, all desperate to catch a glimpse of the flying elephant. But it isn’t just the crowds that are interested.

Entrepreneur V. A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) has also caught wind of this latest addition to the circus, and he convinces Medici and his troupe to join his circus, a much more professional show at a huge themed attraction called Dreamland. Vandevere and his partner/star performer Colette Marchant (Eva Green) want to make Dumbo a part of their nightly show and, as it turns out, do away with the rest of the troupe.

This script by Ehren Kruger bears very little resemblance to the Disney animated film, other than the fact that it centres around a flying elephant named Dumbo. Fans of the original will not find much in this film that they recognise, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sadly, a lot of the dialogue in this version comes across incredibly stilted and unnatural. Also, the plot is incredibly predictable, and I don’t just mean because it’s a Disney film and you know that the bad guys will get their comeuppance in the end, and everyone else lives happily ever after. Even though the story is different enough from the original, there are not a lot of surprises or unexpected moments.

Colleen Atwood’s costumes are quite something, I must say. Of course, if you’ve seen other films she’s worked on, that shouldn’t come as a surprise; she has won a few Academy Awards for her efforts. But her hard work and dedication is much more visible in a film like this, where colourful, vibrant, unique outfits are all over the screen all the time.

The production design, by Rich Heinrichs, is similarly fantastic, with some amazing locations and gorgeously dressed sets. Again, given that the majority of the film is set in a circus, this shouldn’t come as a shock, but there is still a lot of creativity and originality on display even in these environments that audiences tend to have a rather stereotyped view of what they may look like.

Director Tim Burton brings his trademark look and feel to parts of the film, but not the whole thing. In fact, it is only in the final huge-scale sequence towards the end of the film that it is even noticeable at all, that Burton thumbprint.

Have a guess who composed the score. If you guessed anyone other than Danny Elfman, you obviously haven’t seen many Tim Burton movies, haha. The score is actually quite traditional, and not particularly Elfman-like. Perhaps some executive at Disney wasn’t willing to let Burton and Elfman be their usual slightly-twisted selves, I don’t know.

But the most unfortunate part of this movie has got to be the performances of the cast. With the exception of Eva Green, none of the cast seem to be giving their best here. We know from other films that DeVito, Keaton and Farrell can act, and can act extremely well as it happens. But here, they just seem to be going through the motions, saying the necessary lines at the right time (but not even giving them nuanced intonations, or anything like that). The two children also fail to give particularly memorable performances, and don’t seem to exhibit any talent for screen acting.

I don’t think I can in good conscience recommend this film, even to die-hard fans of the original.

5 out of 10.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Based on the novel by Ken Kesey, this film from director Milos Forman scooped the pools at the Academy Awards in its day, taking home Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director. And for good reason.

Set in a mental hospital, and featuring what would be now called an all-star cast (though at the time, a lot of the performers were unknown or were in their debut film roles), this film gives a real, raw look at what went on behind closed doors, and in some cases I am sure, still goes on today in any remaining institutions or the less savoury psychiatric wards.

Randle P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is brought into the hospital at the beginning of the film, having been in prison. He is there to be assessed for mental problems, to determine where he is to serve the remainder of his incarceration. While there, he meets a varied group of other patients on the ward, and finds himself under the iron-fisted rule of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). His arrival causes havoc on the ward, as he refuses to fit in and abide by their rules, constantly fighting against the system that has put him there.

I won't go into a lot of detail listing major plot points of the film, but I will say a few things.

Firstly, the casting of this film is truly inspired. Nicholson and Fletcher of course both shine in their roles, and have truly earned their aforementioned respective Academy Awards for their hard work. But it is in the supporting cast - the other patients on the ward - that this film stands out. Those who have seen enough other films will recognise the faces of Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif, all of whom are spectacular in their various personalities and characters.

Another stand-out performance of this film is that of Will Sampson, who plays a Native American known only as 'Chief'. His large physical presence hides a tender-hearted character full of secrets. Those who have read the book will have advance warning of a major plot revelation we do not discover until quite late in the film, but Sampson's performance is nonetheless superb.

The entire cast take their performances very seriously, and do not at any point descend into caricature. There are moments that are funny, there are moments that are touching and serious, and there are moments where the true cruelty of the hospital staff will shock you. If the close-up shot of Nicholson's face as he undergoes electric-shock therapy does not bring tears to your eyes, then I regret to inform you that you have no heart.

That being said, those portraying the hospital staff also portray their characters in a way that does not paint them as one- or two-dimensional cutouts. Fletcher in particular is incredible as Nurse Ratched, playing the role in such a subtle, understated way as to make her actions all the more chilling.

The ensemble nature of the cast means that no one actor stands out more than the others. In fact, even the way the film is shot, with so many inserted close-ups of other patients (as in, not the person who is speaking at the time) reveals their dedication to their own roles at all times. They do not break character even for the briefest moment, which must have been a challenge, but one they succeeded at entirely.

There is not much more I can say about this film at this point, other than that it is well worth watching. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you appreciate everything about life. It is a truly beautiful piece of art, and as mentioned above, earned every single one of its five Academy Awards.

8 out of 10.