Day 129: Hoodwinked!

All is not well in the world of bakery. Someone has been stealing the recipes from each of the cake shops in the woods and the only one left belongs to Grandma Puckett. Her granddaughter, Red Riding Hood, decides that the only way to ensure nobody steals the recipes is if she takes them up the mountain to her Gran’s house. But the situation gets messy and the police are called in to investigate what really happened, meaning we get taken through four different stories.

It’s always interesting to see the experiences each person had that led them to the same point. I like when films and books do this, you never really get enough of the picture from just one person. The film is funny in places and I liked the crime angle but overall it’s nothing special. I’m not a fan of the animation itself, it seems really clunky and badly done. But I do realise it’s a children’s movie so the things I’d usually look for aren’t really going to be there.

6/10

Day 118: Chicken Little

After becoming the laughing stock of the town because nobody believed him when he said the sky was falling, Chicken Little (Zach Braff) tries to fit in and make his Dad (Garry Marshall) proud of him. But when the sky starts falling again, he needs his Dad’s support but he just doesn’t believe in him.

When it was obvious that the ‘sky’ that was falling was actually a panel that can take on the properties of its surroundings I thought the film was going to go all Truman Show. That would’ve been better, I think. Don’t get me wrong, I do love some aliens and these ones were cute but I’d have preferred it the other way. Imagine if the whole town was a set and everyone in it had no idea they were being watched, I just love that idea. But I suppose that’s probably not what a Disney film about a tiny chicken would really be about.  I did like the storyline about Chicken Little and his Dad. It’s not enough to love someone, you’ve got to believe in them too.

5/10

Day 98: The Emperor's New Groove

For the next week (or possibly fortnight, I have yet to make a decision) I shall be watching Disney films. Pretty excited about it, I won’t lie to you.

Recently fired Yzma (Eartha Kitt) wants to kill Emperor Kuzco (David Spade) but she leaves the task up to her nice-but-dim companion, Kronk (Patrick Warburton), and it all goes a tad wrong. Instead of being dead, Kuzco is turned into a llama. Disney!

Pacha (John Goodman) ends up looking after Kuzco even though Kuzco is planning on knocking down his town to build a Summer house. He doesn’t give up on him because he’s convinced that there is always good in people, even if it’s hidden pretty deep. And fair enough, that is true in this case. I’m not really sure I can get behind that though. I understand that people aren’t monsters who are out to hurt people all the time but I’m not sure I could put in the time to find someone’s good side after they’ve been awful. Pacha gives Kuzco chance after chance to prove himself and eventually he comes through. I’m not very good with second chances, I’m a bit of a grudge-holder. I just think that if someone is going to willingly hurt you then why do they deserve a second chance? If it was an accident then obviously it’s a bit different but otherwise, no thank you.

Not really sure how I hadn’t seen this film before but I’m glad I’ve seen it now. Would definitely watch again.

8/10