#mary poppins returns review

[pricelessreviews]

[thedetectivesteve]

Cold Cases #5: Into the Spider-Verse, Mary Poppins Returns, Mortal Engines

[andrews-reviews-and-thoughts]

Andrew’s Thoughts on Mary Poppins Returns, The Wind Rises, and Ponyo

Thoughts on Mary Poppins Returns: An 8/10. It may have ended up feeling like the original too much with its similar and kind-of predictable story, and have an unnecessary and not well developed villain, but it successfully retained the feel of the original with its charming tone, songs that are rather memorable and do feel like they came from Mary Poppins (though maybe not in the same levels as the original), nice performances from the cast, including Emily Blunt, Lin Manuel Miranda, and a cameo from Dick van Dyke, and great visuals and choreography, especially with the hand-drawn sequence.

Thoughts on The Wind Rises: As Hayao Miyazaki’s final film (maybe), he left off on a big bang. The movie shows the life of Jiro, a young man who ends up designing airplanes for the Japanese military. But Jiro doesn’t make planes that are ultimate weapons or make planes for the sake of his country, he merely wants to create something that is beautiful, which unfortunately ends up paining him that something beautiful becomes corrupted for destruction. The idea of something beautiful being easily corruptible is a big theme of the film, and can provide tons of stuff to think about. The film also shows the relationship between Jiro and Nahoko, and without spoiling the movie, it definitely provides an emotional and heartbreaking part of the film.

   Of course the backgrounds, character design, and animation is as good as it always is, but what makes this stand out is how it shows the elegancy of a plane in flight, along with the dream sequences providing some creativity. It may not have as much innovating moments as the other Studio Ghibli movies, but it probably wouldn’t be considered a bad thing. I’ve already discussed Jiro and technically Nahoko, but there are also other characters. There could be a possibility that they’re overshadowed by the main two characters, but they still get enough screentime for us to look at them. Honjo is Jiro’s friend who’s pessimistically dismayed about Japan’s technology being behind other countries; Kurokawa is Jiro’s hot-tempered boss, though he isn’t too heartless; Kayo is Jiro’s sister who wants to become a doctor and tries to help out Nahoko; and Mr. Castorp is an interesting character who helps out a bit with the romance between Nahoko and Jiro, while also presenting himself as a mysterious figure who may know more than we think (possibly a German or Soviet official on the run). (On a sidenote, there is something in Castorp’s voice that I can’t help but associate with the word snake. You’d get what I mean through watching either the English or Japanese dub.) In short, The Wind Rises is a great film, and could be considered Miyazaki’s equivalent to Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies. Story: 10/10. Animation: 9 or 10/10. Characters: 9 or 10/10. Overall: 9 or 10/10.

 Finally, to end off on a positive note, I’ll try to discuss Ponyo. Ooh boy, was that a Weird one. Honestly, I’m not sure how I should feel. With the odd childlike tone, the characters treating almost everything nonchalantly or acting oddly and not like expected, and some parts of the story feeling unexplained or more serious than other parts, it makes it seem not as great as the other Ghibli movies. But maybe I’m just being crazy and am failing to see how this could be a nice film to be enjoyed by children, I don’t know. As for the characters, other than what I said, they’re mostly two-dimensional and not as complex as other Ghibli characters, with some feeling like there could have been development for them. As for the animation, it has a more kid-friendly feel like it came from a kids book, but still has the good stuff from other Ghibli films, with a nice and creative look for the sealife. Story: 7/10. Animation: 10/10. Characters: 6/10. Overall: 8 or 7 or 7.5/10.

Random Lines At End: 1: Kurokawa: Jiro, let’s go get some coffee. Jiro: But, I’ve got to go to a... Kurokawa: Cancel it. (Closes door.) 2 (in Japanese): Kurokawa: Jiro, we need to talk. Jiro: I’ve got a meeting. Kurokawa: Cancel it. (Closes door.) 3 (English): Jiro: Schubert’s Winter Journey. (Audio plays.) Honjo: Well, that’s perfect for us. A masterpiece of misery and woe.

[capsarcastica]

Joker: Folie a Deux Review

A movie that seems more interesting trying to figure out why everything was done the way it was than anything the movie presents. There are many interesting ideas that would be excellent on their own. But all together makes this a confusing mishmash themes and styles.

The best parts of the movie are the returning elements from the first film. Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for the first film and, while not quite as impressive, still does an amazing job. He is once again utterly fascinating to watch. Zazie Beetz's brief appearance is an excellent counter-point to her portrayal in the first one, which was largely a fantasy. She recontextualizes moments from the first and reinforces how unreliable a narrator Arthur is. I wish the movie did more of this to make Arthur and the audience doubt what really has happened. Though it's Leigh Gill who steals the movie with a single scene. Gary Puddles' testimony is equal parts awkwardly funny and heartbreaking. It's that one scene that shows what the movie could have been to really equal the first.

The movie looks as good as the first. Gotham is shown as being dark and dirty, a shame that so little of the movie is set in the city at large. Arkham feels impressive, though it's pretty much the same feeling every other prison and asylum movie has. The musical sequences lovingly recreate the look and feel of classic musicals like Singin' in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Sony & Cher. It's a pretty sharp contrast between the real scenes and the fantasy musicals.

The story touches on several ideas that would be better developed on their own. I like the idea of seeing the trial and aftermath of the previous film's climax, something not really done since the finale of Star Trek IV. Given how sympathetic the first film made Arthur, it would have been interesting to see him turn the tables and make others actually see his side. Instead, the trial scenes largely rehash the first film and continually make clear that Arthur is entirely at fault. It ends up pretty dull.

Lady Gaga is pretty good as Harley Quinn, a contrast to the already crazed Margot Robbie version. It's not all that different from her role in A Star Is Born but it works within the world of this Joker. A movie actually featuring Harley's decent into Joker's madness would be great, there is a psychological term for women who fall in love with dangerous psychos like Ted Bundy and Charles Manson. But this story comes and goes, sometimes letting the audience forget she even exists.

The biggest problem with the movie is Joker himself. The first film embodied the phrase "A child not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth." Arthur started out a pathetic nobody who just wanted people to be happy, and ended up inciting a mass riot as he embraced the Joker identity. This movie tries to do the same thing again. It's not Hangover 2 bad. But it starts off with Arthur once again being a pathetic nobody, just a famous one, and tries to build him back up to being Joker. A better movie would have explored how this disturbed individual would've reacted to suddenly being a beloved for his sins. The other problem with Arthur is that he has no agency. Only at one point does he actively try to do anything, instead mostly following around what others tell him to do. Harley, his lawyer, the judge, and his fans are all the ones who make the decisions that move the story. He also only truly becomes Joker in one scene, plus the fantasy musicals. Putting on the Foghorn Leghorn accent to question Puddles is, again, absolutely brilliant and should've been the basis for everything else.

There's also no release, no sense of satisfaction. The two dance scenes from the first symbolized great moments for Arthur. The bathroom when he broke away from society's restrictions, and the stairs when he finally took control of his life. There was meaning to them cause they were steps towards being Joker. This movie has guards beating Arthur, lawyers dissing him, and the media making lousy movies about him. But never is there any emotional payoff to these things. It works in an arthouse kind of way, but it's disappointing for the producers to seemingly hate their own character so much.

While the musical sequences look nice, they are the most annoying feature largely because there's so many of them. The music choices are fine, though nothing as memorable as the first film. Gaga is never given a chance to show off her talents. And there's just too many musical sequences. Towards the end I could hear the rest of the audience grown as another musical started. I get that they're supposed to represent meaningful moments between Arthur and Harley, but dial it back a bit.

Then there's the ending. An ending that will be talked about for years to come, and not for good reasons. A movie lives or dies on its ending, and this one seems to almost be an attack on fans who actually enjoyed the first by seeming to suggest both movies don't matter. There's rumors that Todd Phillips didn't want to make another. That's fine, but he didn't have to make what could be the worst possible ending in the superhero genre.

There are moments of brilliance, hinting at what a good sequel could have been. But ultimately it ends up as a needless epilogue to a movie they apparently did not understand themselves.

[crayonkant]

I love your takes on arca and in gender/transition in general. What do you think about songs like prada where arca seems to assume both a very delicate feminine and dominant masculine approach to sexuality? I’ve seen reviews talking about how that’s arca challenging the views of femininity especially for a trans woman and I was curious to know what you make of it

Dear Anonymous,

First - I'm glad you find something interesting in what I wrote about Arca. I am a recent fan and still in the grips of a very powerful crush :)

Second - why are you asking such a hard question? :) I tried to answer it concisely a couple of times and didn't succeed. So please be patient with me for a bit longer, or send me a direct message for a more fluid conversation.

For now, here is a partial answer:

There's an Arca interview that I keep going to: buttmagazine.com/interviews/arca-2 (August 31 2022). Short quote: "I'm continuing to explore the question of what my womanhood looks like, and how to convey it without it becoming a caricature. [...] It's been a slow process of not wanting to renounce any extreme. Tomboy mode is as important to me as being able to get dolled up. I don't want to replace one script with another script. [...] I'm constantly asking myself certain questions that never go away. The answers change over time." There's a lot to unpack in the interview, and I'd love to return to it in a longer post.

I'd give away years off my life if we could just stop using the words 'feminity' and 'masculinity'. Do you remember Mary Poppins' nanny bag in which everything and anything can fit? This is how I see these words. We stuff in them neat collections of concepts/adjectives ("delicate", "dominant"....), forgetting that their contents is time/culture dependent, and that it is not a given - we choose what is put there, and we don't necessarily agree what fits best in each of them. I'd love to hear from you what is in your bags.

Returning to all this with a longer post soon...

[explainedfilms]

Mary Poppins Returns Movie Ending Explained (In Detail)

Spoilers Alert: The world-famous magic nanny experiences it MARY POPPINS RETURNS a musical revival on the big screen. While the US critics rejoice, we are disillusioned. We reveal why in our review. The Plot Summary London in the 1930s, in the middle of the economic crisis: Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) has now grown up and works for the bank where his father was employed. He still lives at 17…

[floorman3]

The Little Mermaid Review- A Visually Stunning and Incredibly Sounding Disney Live-Action Remake

The Little Mermaid is the latest live-action remake of one of Disney’s classic animated films from the 90s. The Little Mermaid is an empowering story for little girls and an indication that love transcends all odds. Disney has worked with Rob Marshall a few times in the past on Mary Poppins: Returns and Into the Woods, but this may be the best of their collaborations to date. He has transformed…

[thealmightyemprex]

Gameplan for Disney Month

Ongoing stuff

Have 26 episodes and two specials to watch of Zorro ,will do a full series review if I finish

11 issues to read of Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck

Official film watchlist so far

Mary Poppins (Already watched but holding off till Disney month begins to talk about it . Might be first review )

Kidnapped (Will be first film watched )

Lady and the Tramp

Return to Oz

Popeye

The Love Bug 1997

Official TV series episode watch list so far

Pepper Ann-Megablades of Grass /Family Vacation

Dinosaurs :High Noon

Official musical :

Aida

Comics

TBD

Miscelelanious

Me discussing my favorite Disney ride

@the-blue-fairie @ariel-seagull-wings @themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa @filmcityworld1 @angelixgutz @marquisedemasque @amalthea9 @goodanswerfoxmonster

[dykeboi]

Yuh as one of those human reviewers (not for the docs writer LLM but for Google search quality, bias, and text summaries more generally), it's a terrible terrible privacy mess to base LLMs off of data which is not published on the web. Yes there are issues with web scraping to train bots as far as intellectual property, but that info is all public in one way or another. I can scrape the New York Times for restaurant reviews and ask an LLM to create a review for an imaginary Thai restaurant, but those reviews were at least meant for public viewing in the first place. It wouldn't be the end of the world if the synthetic review copied something verbatim like "chicken enlivened by lemongrass and ginger".

Because LLMs are being trained on all the data of all the users, there's no guarantee that whatever goes into the "black box" will not come out to another user given the right prompting. It's just a statistical process of generating the most likely string of associated words, connections between which are reweighted based on reviewer and user feedback. If in the training data a string of connected words is presented, like "come to the baby shower at 6pm for Mary Poppins at 123 Blueberry Lane, Smallville, USA, 90210", that exact address could at some point be regurgitated in whole to another user, whether the prompting was intentional or not.

The LLM doesn't "know" what data is sensitive. The LLM does not "protect" data from one user from being used by another. The LLM doesn't have the contextual awareness to know that some kinds of information could present more risk for harm, or that some words represent more identifiable data than others.

All of the data is being amalgamated into the LLM likely with only some very broad tools for grooming the data set, like perhaps removing the corpus of one user or removing input with a certain percentage of non-English characters, say, and likely things like street addresses, phone numbers, names, and emails which can be easily removed are already being redacted from the data sets. But if it's put into words, it's extremely likely to be picked up indiscriminately as part of the training set.

The Google text products for search I've worked on can be very literal to the training data, usually repeating sentences wholesale when making summaries. An email LLM could be giving you whole sentences that had been written by a person, or whole phrases, but still be "ai generated"- it just happens that the most likely order for those words is exactly as a human or humans had written before. Obviously that makes sense because people say the same things all the time and the LLMs are probability machines. But because the training sets of data are so massive, it's not being searched every time to see if the text is a verbatim match to something the LLM had been trained on, or running a sniff check for whether that information is specific to an individual person. This "quoting" is more likely for prompts where there are fewer data points that the LLM is trained on, so compared to say, "write an email asking to reschedule the meeting to 2pm" which has 20 million examples, if I prompted "write an origin story for my DND character, a kind halfling bard named Kiara who travels in a mercenary band. Include how she discovered a love of music and how she joined the mercenaries" or "generate a table of semiconductor contractors for XYZ corp, include turnaround times for prototypes, include batch yield, include Unit cost" , we're a lot more likely to see people's (unpublished and private!) trade secrets being quoted. The corporations are going to have a fit, especially since they've been sold the Google Office suite for years.

At best, the data sets are being massaged by engineers using some complex filters to remove some information, and the bots are being put through sampling to see how often they return results which are directly quoted from text, and the reviewers are giving low ratings to responses which seem to quote very specific info out of nowhere. But if the bot changes just one word, or a few, while still rephrasing the information, it's impossible to check whether that information has a match in the training data without human review, and there's no guarantee another bot making the comparison like a plagiarism checker would catch it. Once the data is in the set, there are no guarantees.

The only way Google gets around these likelihoods of copyright infringement or privacy law is by having you the user waive your rights and agree as part of the terms of service not to include "sensitive" info.. so if you're somehow hurt by a leak of your info or creative ideas , it's because you used the service wrong. Might not stand up in court, but still be advised not to agree to this stuff. It's highly irresponsible to use LLMs which are being trained on unpublished user data and I'm sure that companies are going to throw a fit and demand to opt out of being scraped for data at scale for their whole google suite.

🚨⚠️ATTENTION FELLOW WRITERS⚠️🚨

If you use Google Docs for your writing, I highly encourage you to download your work, delete it from Google Docs, and transfer it to a different program/site, unless you want AI to start leeching off your hard work!!!

I personally have switched to Libre Office, but there are many different options. I recommend checking out r/degoogle for options.

Please reblog to spread the word!!

[moviereviews101web]

The Disppearance (1977) Movie Review

The Disappearance – Movie Review Director: Stuart Cooper Writer: Paul Mayersberg (Screenplay) Writer: Derek Marlowe (Novel) Cast Donald Sutherland (Don’t Look Now) Francine Racette (Au Revoir les Enfants) David Hemmings (Equilibrium) John Hurt (V for Vendetta) David Warner (Mary Poppins Returns) Christopher Plummer (Knives Out) Plot: Thriller about a contract killer whose wife has…

[shuteyecinema]

If you are here and can understand.

I am not saying what I stumbled upon makes me a genius, but still, I imagine very little to no people at all can grasp what I write here. My reviews excel the most like “Cast Away” “Mary Poppins Returns”, “Logan”, “POTC”, “MIB”, and many others. Note: ChatGPT strictly only tells me that meaning in movies is up for personal interpretation. Let’s suppose what this takes is a 190 IQ and ask…

[denimbex1986]

'...With the reviews and successful box office for Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” we could finally find Emily Blunt to get her due as a nominee. Despite Golden Globe noms for “The Devil Wears Prada” (2005) and “Mary Poppins Returns” (2018) and a SAG-winning turn in “A Quiet Place” (2018), the British star has yet to be recognized. This could be her year...

AND THE PREDICTED NOMINEES ARE...

Emily Blunt — “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)...

ALL ELIGIBLE TITLES (ALPHABETIZED BY STUDIO)**...

Emily Blunt – “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) Florence Pugh – “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)...'

[thebuzztrack]

A Review of 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' (2023)

Damn, now this movie is entertaining to watch with utmost certainty. I considered the first installment a gem that could not be matched. But here I am after viewing the second movie with the unexpected knowledge there will be a third movie on the horizon. Into, Across, and Beyond the Spider-verse! This movie’s complex blend of animation styles can be information overload and possibly seizure-inducing for those with a photosensitivity impairment. My gosh! It is fascinating how they combined all the visual extremes into one movie. I am surprised it did not give me a headache while I tried to keep pace with the speed of processing all the information at once. It was mind-boggling to see them integrate live-action into an animated film. The last time I remember seeing it be used seamlessly was during the Bronze Age of Disney when the studio blended live-action and animation into their movies, such as with Mary Poppins and Bedknobs & Broomsticks. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and look forward to the third installment.

As previously stated, this film is a direct continuation of the highly praised Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). The lead character, Miles Morales, returns as the protagonist, joined by a fresh set of heroes from alternate dimensions. The film is helmed by directors Joaquim Dos Santos and Kemp Powers, and penned by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative forces behind the original movie.

This film boldly depicts Miles' ongoing struggle to balance his dual identities as a high schooler and a superhero, all while confronting a looming danger that threatens to unravel the fabric of the multiverse. With the abundance of thrilling action, clever humor, heartfelt emotion, and breathtaking animation, this movie will surely leave a lasting impression.

This movie was fantastic! It exceeded all of my expectations and left me thoroughly impressed. The animation style was especially noteworthy, as it merged various techniques and genres to produce a stunning visual masterpiece. The voice acting was also top-notch, with Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld delivering standout performances as Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen, respectively. The supporting cast of heroes is excellently portrayed and fleshed out, each with its distinct personality and backstory. Fans of the Spider-Man franchise will appreciate the nods to various comics and movies, as the film cleverly incorporates references and Easter eggs throughout.

The film showcases a considerable amount of emotional depth and character growth. Miles, the protagonist, is both relatable and endearing. He encounters challenges and uncertainties that most people can empathize with. Through his journey, he discovers how to trust himself and his companions and accept his role as Spider-Man. The movie delves into the various topics of family, friendship, accountability, inclusivity, and bravery. It doesn’t shy away from addressing heavy subject matter yet maintains a balanced tone with humor, optimism, and entertainment.

Spider-Man Across the Universe (2023) is hands down one of the best movies I’ve seen at the cinema this year. The remarkable animation and captivating storyline will impress anyone who appreciates superheroes or simply great films. I highly recommend it without hesitation.

[andrews-reviews-and-thoughts]

Andrew's Review of The Inventor (by Jim Capobianco)

Note: This review was made during the time of the 2023 Writers’ and Actors’ Strike (and finished in November of 2023). Despite not being an official reviewer for a website or publisher, I still stand with the strikers and their attempts to gain better wages and treatments for the work they do. As The Inventor is a film made out of passion, this disclaimer is especially applicable to those who work for something that they love doing. I can only hope for the best that the actors and writers get what they want, and continue to make films like this one under the best circumstances. Learn more at entertainmentcommunity.org

                                             The Inventor

   Well, would you look at that, another stop-motion film has come out. I have got to say, when it comes to stop-motion in the 2020s, it has had a good run so far. Whether it be with Aardman producing Shaun the Sheep for Netflix and the Star Wars: Visions short, “I Am Your Mother”, for Disney+, or individual creators like Henry Selick and Guillermo del Toro making animated films like Wendell and Wild and Pinocchio, they have proven to be standouts in their respective years. But this one is not just a regular stop-motion film. This one is the brainchild of Disney and Pixar veteran Jim Capobianco, who has worked as a storyboard trainee on The Lion King, an animation sequence supervisor on Mary Poppins Returns, and, most notably, as one of the writers for Ratatouille, which he got an Oscar nomination for. Back in 2009, he made a short film called "Leonardo,” which was about the life of famous Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, who Capobianco became fascinated with as a person. So much so that in 2018, he started preproduction on an expansion of that short as a feature film that would blend stop-motion with hand-drawn animation! That alone should make this an interesting feature to look at! And with the help of Pierre-Luc Granjon as co-director, Don Hahn as an executive producer, and Cartoon Saloon’s Tomm Moore as a creative consultant, Capobianco has finally released The Inventor to the big screen. That’s right, not to streaming, but to movie theaters. I don’t think there has been a stop-motion film in theaters since Missing Link back in 2019! So now that we will be looking into the life of Leonardo da Vinci, will this film be as grand as his creations, or will it be given the same treatment as Leo was under the Catholic Church? Let’s find out.

The Story

   When the film begins, it acknowledges that it is based on the life of Leonardo da Vinci, mainly involving his time at the French court in the 1510s. While some would think that this is a biographical picture of how Leonardo made his creations during that time, that is not really the case. Yes, the story does involve him leaving Italy for the French court, along with his attempts to make an ideal city there. But instead of focusing on ‘the life of the great Leonardo’, The Inventor treats itself as a way of delving into da Vinci’s philosophies and goals through the setting that he is in. As a man in the early 16th century who has a curious mind and craft for creating things, he and his ideas are constantly opposed by those around him, rather it be by the restrictive Catholic Church, or by people who, as Leonardo said it best, “cannot see.” It is due to the struggles that da Vinci faces that the film is able to spread out its messages, or more specifically, Leonardo’s viewpoints. These can range from how people will adapt to machines of war and continue an endless cycle of violence; how a religious group like the Catholic Church can be so dismissive of other views and suggestions that it will act against its intended nature as a group that spreads the love of God; and most notably, how people can see one’s ideas, and how willing they are to accept them. (The scene where Leo tells Princess Marguerite about the three types of people he has encountered: Those who see, those who can be made to see, and those who cannot see, is shown.)

   In a way, this could be viewed as commentary on not just the behavior and psychology of people, but also the modern world, since most of today’s recent controversies spring from people who refuse to understand something new or progressive, and will violently deny or fight back against it because it does not match up with their limited views of what should be. But there is another thing that this film addresses, which is Leonardo’s pursuit of what the human soul is. Throughout the feature, Leo constantly tries to figure out what it is all about, and asks some rather deep questions for a family-friendly film. What is the meaning of life? Is there a point to our existence? Why is the soul there, and what is it meant for? And by the end of the film, the answer that is given is one that will probably touch deep with several people. While not a full-on biography, and most likely not a completely accurate one, the story still delves deep into the mindset of Leonardo da Vinci, and the questions and views that he posited.

The Animation

   When one hears the words, “from one of the writers of Ratatouille,” they would probably wonder why someone from a CGI-heavy animation studio like Pixar would use stop-motion and hand-drawn animation for this film. Well, as I have mentioned before, Jim Capobianco is already familiar with hand-drawn through his past works, but the most prominent example of his adaptability is the short film that came with the Ratatouille DVD, “Your Friend the Rat.” While Remy and Emile stay their 3D selves, the rest of the short uses a mixture of visual styles, from 2D animation in the style of Ward Kimball’s educational cartoons from the 1950s, to small bits of live-action, pixel art, and, yes, stop-motion. So I think it is safe to say that Jim has plenty of experience to implement those art forms into his own feature.

   But getting back to The Inventor, one thing that stands out upon first notice is the designs. When looking at the characters, it is very easy to make comparisons to the Rankin-Bass specials. The heads are rather ovular, their bodies are clearly reminiscent of toy models, and their eyes are merely black dots much like Yukon Cornelius, Santa and Mrs. Claus’ eyes were in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Simple designs, I know, but they are still rather charming to look at, and do have a thematic reason for looking the way they do. Considering how this film is about Leonardo da Vinci, it technically fits in with his work as a tinkerer. Do the characters seem like little figurines, and the buildings and backgrounds around them look like models? Good, because that is basically what Leonardo is doing with his sketches and contraptions. Even when there are a few characters with stand-out details like Leo’s mouth sometimes appearing over his beard, and Pope Leo X having a jaw similar to Burgermeister Meisterburger’s, it is easy to imagine that someone is experimenting with their models to see what else can be done.

   As for how the characters move, they do have a good amount of fluidity to them. Not to the extent of Laika’s features, but more so Aardman’s films, where the character animation moves at a good pace, and does follow the anatomy of the human body. And even with the designs being simple, the characters are still able to express their feelings, whether it be through how they move their bodies, or letting the mouth, the eyebrows and whatever else is around the eyes to do the emoting. But I am sure you have all been waiting for me to discuss the film’s standout element, the use of hand-drawn animation.

   Throughout the feature, hand-drawn is often used to convey what Leonardo is thinking about, or as a way for a montage or exposition to happen, and It Looks Beautiful. While not changing any of the characters’ designs, the animation does stick close to the artstyle of Leonardo da Vinci, where there are detailed sketches, watercolor and oil paint making up the backgrounds, and even a couple of references to da Vinci’s own artwork. Combine that with some smooth and fluid animation, and having the camera move about to show dynamic angles, and you have got one of the highlights of the picture, especially when Leonardo has one of his soul visions. (Leonardo’s second vision of him trying to reach the female figure is shown.) It is also worth noting that hand-drawn animation does appear within the stop-motion world, and it blends rather well with the full-dimensional figures. Some examples include Leonardo’s thoughts appearing as sketches; the shadowy spies of the Pope slinking about the walls and floors as Literal shadows; and during some of the musical numbers, where the hand-drawn animation both serves as a representation of what the characters want, and interacts with the stop-motion figures most often. (A section from “An Ideal City” where a swarm of people carry away King Francis is shown.) If I were to guess how much which type of animation was used, then I would say it is 65% stop-motion and 35% hand-drawn. And considering how often hand-drawn appears, I think it is safe to say that people will be pleased by the amount that is shown. With some charming stop-motion and a plentiful use of hand-drawn, the animation in The Inventor perfectly replicates the artistic mindset of Leonardo da Vinci.

The Characters

   While there are several characters in here who are based on real people, accurately depicting them is not the movie’s main goal. Again, the goal is to spread the message of Leonardo’s mindset. And who better to start off with than Leonardo da Vinci himself. As an artist and philosopher, Leo is fascinated by everything around him, and seeks to find out as much as he can while trying to bring his ideas and observations to life. However, doing so is easier said than done. Along with the restrictiveness of the Catholic Church, he is faced with scrutiny from people whose views do not match with what Leo sees. Even if what he brings up is technologically impressive and could benefit society, they would rather him do as he is told and stick to what is traditionally acceptable. On top of that, Leonardo is already an old man, and will eventually have to move on, so his studies into architecture, machinery, the human soul, and even the dissection of cadavers could be seen as him trying to make an impact before time catches up with him.

   As for the other characters, I will admit that there can be those who are mostly there to serve certain roles for the plot, and do not have as much development as Leonardo. But even with that, they still do serve their roles well and can stand on their own. First, there is Francesco Melzi, Leonardo’s apprentice who is the closest confidant and friend the old man has. While Melzi is mainly an assistant who is there for da Vinci to talk to, he is still loyal to the old man and helps him out with his experiments, while also trying to remind him of how he should not get into trouble with the people up top. Alongside the apprentice is Zoroastro, the silent heavy muscle who helps Leonardo with construction and retrieving cadavers. Then there is King Francis I, the King of France who invites Leonardo into his court after witnessing one of his inventions. However, while his interest in Leonardo is genuine, it only goes so far, since he wants the artist to make statues of himself to show off to the other kings. And with his blustery attitude adding to his shortsightedness, this often leads to his mother, Louise of Savoy, to be the one to take charge of the situation and determine what is best.

   And then there are two characters who stand out above the rest. The first of the two is Princess Marguerite de Navarre. Out of all the characters, she is the one whose role and development is able to stand toe-to-toe with Leonardo’s. Unlike her brother Francis, Marguerite is more in touch with the civilians of her kingdom, and prioritizes giving them comfort. This mindset draws her towards Leonardo, whose concepts for an ideal city and queries into the universe give her someone she can view and confide in as an equal, while also giving the inventor someone in the upper class to share and teach his ideas to who can hopefully make things go for the better.

   And the other character is Pope Leo X. While only present in the beginning of the film and the end of the second act, his scenes alone are one of the film’s highlights. As the head of the Catholic Church, he is portrayed as a grown man with a childlike attitude, often giving out fiery statements of what is right and wrong, stating one thing in the moment only to hypocritically state another the next minute, and being swayed by whoever is near him. And with him sending out spies to observe what Leonardo is doing, along with being a bit gung-ho for confronting people, he shows how a religious group that is meant to spread the teachings of God and His love can Easily turn into an oppressive regime that is more focused on maintaining a status quo that barely resembles the group’s original intentions.   And considering my comments sound like critiques against a major system of power, I’m probably next on the Pope’s chopping block after Leonardo. (A clip is shown of Francesco telling Leonardo his ideas will “get him into trouble.” The Pope: “BLAS-PHE-MYYYYYY!!!!!” Francesco: “Like, dead trouble.”)

   I would also like to point out that the actors did a good job bringing their characters to life, while also adding to their personalities. These include Stephen Fry’s inquisitive warmth in Leonardo; Daisy Ridley’s curious wonder in Marguerite; Marion Cotillard’s strict and regal tone for Louise of Savoy; and Matt Berry giving out a pompous performance befitting Pope Leo X. Alongside some nice voice acting, the characters come together to show what it is that Leonardo seeks, and can even leave a bit of an impact on the viewer.

The Songs

   Yes, much like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, this is another stop-motion animated film with songs in it. However, I wouldn’t exactly categorize these as ‘musical numbers’ per say. They instead serve a similar role to the songs in Pinocchio, where, instead of being big, lavish song-and-dance numbers, they are meant to either help show the characters’ wants and states of mind, or progress the story, often through montages.

   The first song of the movie is “The Shepherd’s Song,” which is more of a hymn or sermon that Pope Leo gives to Leonardo, while indirectly describing how he spreads the religious teachings of the Catholic Church. (“The shepherd leads the way / Sheep go about their day / They grow their wool, they breed, and then they die”) Following afterwards is “Mona Lisa,” a brief lament from Leonardo on his situation in Rome and how he may have to stop his studies. (“What counsel can you give me? / Have we really reached the end?” / “We’re out of time, we’re out of time / There’s nowhere left to go”) Then there is “Leonardo’s New Home,” a jaunty little song that also counts as the first ‘montage’ song, accompanying da Vinci as he prepares to bring his ideas to France. (“This will be the perfect library / A study beyond compare! / I could openly look at any book / The Pope need not know nor care”) After a while is “From This Tiny Seed,” sung by Princess Marguerite as she starts to work with da Vinci on the ideal city and what she wants from it. (“Each fulfills their role / Each part forms a whole / Our community / Exists in harmony”)

  Then the next song is “An Ideal City,” where da Vinci and Marguerite present the planned ideal city and how it will work. (“Humans and garlands / With God’s creation / To all the world / An inspiration / That’s what’s in store / For our ideal city / And what’s more / It’s charming and pretty”) After that is “Kings!,” heralding the arrival of the other European kings. Out of all the songs here, this is the one that would fit the most into a Rankin-Bass special, since it is a more fun song that acts like an event rather than a part of the plot. Think of it as the equivalent to “Fourth of July Parade” from Rudolph’s Shiny New Year. (“On your knees / Pay tribute to your kings / About to meet / [Can’t quite discern what is said here. Sorry] simple little things”) Following afterwards is a combined reprise of “Mona Lisa” and “From This Tiny Seed,” but since that one contains some spoilers, all I will say is that it shows Leonardo rising from his lowest moment. So let’s move on to “En Garde, Pret, Allez!”, which is another ‘montage’ song sung by Louise of Savoy while she helps King Francis entertain the other kings. (“En Garde, Pret, Allez / First you’re winning / Then your plans all go astray / When the world makes you feel dizzy / Don’t go into a tizzy / Turn your spinning into a ballet”) And finally, there is “Song of the Stars,” which acts like the final thesis statement of the film. (“See things unseen / Behind the screen / Ever beyond our reach”)

   I will admit, by the time I started making this review, I was having a bit of trouble remembering how the songs went, since some of their melodies can blend together if you’re not paying attention, and their status as ‘slower-paced, non-Broadway songs’ prevents them from being as catchy as a song from Disney. But after taking the time to listen to them individually, I can say that they are rather good. Along with having some nice lyrics and music conducted by Alex Mandel, each of the songs do have their place in the story. Again, they are primarily meant to help establish what the characters think and want, and they do a good job of conveying the hopes and ideas that Leonardo and Marguerite have. Even the montage songs are entertaining in their own right, since they have the animation help show what the characters are trying to do to achieve their goals. The songs in this movie may not be one of the main spectacles on display, but they are still an essential part, and can bring their own value to the picture.

   There have been several big events in theaters this year, but this film is easily up there as one of my top experiences. The Inventor is an amazing film that serves as a celebration of Leonardo da Vinci. The story is simple, yet contains some deep themes and questions; the animation is beautiful and pays tribute to what came before, whether it be the stop-motion Rankin-Bass specials or da Vinci’s hand-drawn sketches; the characters have some nice acting while also being capable of leaving a huge presence; and the songs, while not grand, do help accentuate the characters’ wants, and the themes of the film. If you are a fan of stop-motion, hand-drawn, art, or are interested in Leonardo da Vinci and his creations, this is a must-watch! In fact, I can see this being shown in art classes for kids to watch, even if some of the subject matter may fly over their heads. And while, yes, this was not shown much in theaters and is currently out of them, The Inventor is now available on demand and online, so I would still recommend giving it a watch. I would also suggest sticking through the credits. Not only will you find a few fun Easter eggs in them, but you will also get a look at the behind-the-scenes process of the picture, and have a deeper appreciation for the people who helped bring it to life, either through directly working on it, or just through the Kickstarter campaign. This may not have been as hugely promoted as Mario or any other blockbuster in 2023, but The Inventor is on the same level of quality as Elemental, Nimona, and Across the Spider-Verse, and will be one of my personal favorite films I have watched this year.

Story: 10/10. Animation: 10/10. Characters: 9/10. Songs: 8 or 9/10. Overall Rating: 9/10.

Dingle, Jon. “Interview: Jim Capobianco Chats ‘Ratatouille’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Inventor’.” Filmoria, 15 May 2018, https://www.filmoria.co.uk/interview-jim-capobianco-chats-ratatouille-the-lion-king-and-the-inventor/.

[laiqualaurelote]

(yeah I don't care if Afterlife workplace AU ain't winning, here you go)

The arrival of Charles Rowland in the Afterlife is all the department talks about for days. Granted, they receive very little excitement here; Edwin has seen his colleagues get into a tizzy over filing system upgrades. But suddenly everyone is all “Charles this”, “Charles that”, “Charles tripled his case count first day on the job and one of them was a poltergeist”, ad nauseam. Charles Rowland has waltzed in and usurped the position of Departmental Boy Wonder, which Edwin has held for the past seventy years. Frankly, Edwin was more excited about the filing upgrades.

What irks him most is Charles’ instantaneous popularity. Edwin would rather be competent than well-liked, a principle he reinforces every time he picks holes in his colleagues’ work. This came up at his last performance review, where the Principal remarked that even his supervisor found him “needlessly pedantic, which is saying a lot, since she is one of the most pedantic people I know”.

“I don’t see anyone complaining about our department’s zero-error record,” Edwin parried.

“Which is commendable, to be sure,” rejoined the Principal, “but you might perhaps convey your corrections with a little more tact. Inhuman Resources say you made at least three of your colleagues cry in the last quarter.”

“I cannot help it if they keep hiring stupid people.”

“Edwin.”

“This is the Afterlife,” said Edwin, suffused with righteous indignation. “Our work is literally a matter of life and death. You let one little error go through and the next thing you know, some poor soul is trapped in Hell, where they do not belong, being tortured for eternity.”

The Principal sighed. “Touché.”

“Thank you, Your Finality.”

“But I am still sending you for sensitivity training,” she added.

Sensitivity training lasted three weeks. It was not hell — Edwin is never glib about hell — but it was nevertheless a massive waste of time. He returned to a precipitous backlog of cases, the most vexing being the onset of the Marvellous Mr Rowland, Everyone’s New Best Friend. 

“Did you hear that Charles Rowland forgot to file his portal transition forms three working days in advance and the Notary let it slide? She said ‘Just this once’! And smiled!”

“Did you hear that Charles Rowland’s orientation scores were so high that Inventory just gave him the Infinite Backpack straight off the bat? Also an actual bat. So cool.”

“Did you hear that Charles Rowland hung out with Death? And she liked him so much she gave him a job here?”

As if this were some kind of lark one did over the summer holidays, as opposed to a job you had to walk through fire for. Literally, in Edwin’s case. 

All of this to say: Edwin is fully prepared to hate Charles Rowland on sight. He imagines some strapping, square-jawed lunkhead posing with his fabled bat while the office girls fawn over him. He knows the type well; boarding school provided plenty of specimens. He is not expecting, on his way back from a protracted battle with the Notary over Form H Addendum 35b, the boy sitting on his desk.

He is, for starters, shorter than Edwin; he is puckishly wiry. His kohl-darkened eyes have a startlingly limpid quality. His jacket bristles with more pins and patches than a trinket stand. His socked feet end in deeply impractical loafers. He has an earring. Edwin experiences this last scandalous detail like a needle through his own flesh.

“Edwin Payne?” says this vision of intrusion. “I’m Charles Rowland.”

“I know who you are,” splutters Edwin. “What are you doing on my desk?”

“Charlie says we’re to share.” Charles flashes him a grin as wide as the Channel. “Took them forever to assign me a spot, seeing’s how I’ve been topside so much. Thought I’d get stuck on me own in the other wing — this is aces.”

“Who the blazes is Charlie?” 

“Our supe,” says Charles. “Ginger bird? Bit like a Scottish Mary Poppins? Thought I’d call her Charlie, like in Charlie’s Angels. That’s a TV show. Wait, do you know about TV? I heard you’ve been dead ages.”

“I am perfectly acquainted with the concept of television,” says Edwin stiffly. “Has our supervisor given you permission to call her Charlie?”

“Not exactly,” says Charles. “But my smile is pretty convincing. Give it time.”

This is doubtless some punishment that the Night Nurse has concocted in revenge for all those times Edwin has questioned her authority. To give her credit, it is ingenious. “I shall have to speak with her,” he rallies. “I am not…good with others.” An understatement; all his previous deskmates requested reassignment, often in tears. The upshot of this is that Edwin has two desks to himself, which he has merged into a single monstrous tableau of bureaucracy. “I work best alone. Now please get off my desk.”

Charles slides off obligingly, but proceeds to wander around Edwin’s cubicle, poking at his case board. “She said you could show me the ropes. Says you’re her best.”

“She exaggerates.”

“Don’t look like it.” Charles knocks a knuckle against the display of Edwin’s closed casefiles, which takes up two walls of the cubicle. “Looks pretty brills to me.”

“Not all of us can be chums with Death,” says Edwin waspishly. “Some of us have to work hard to stay where we are.”

Because there are worse places to be, he does not say. Because if you do not meet your quotas, if you fail to prove your worth to the department, it will not matter how many years you have given them. A snap of the fingers and they will drop you right back down the hole you crawled out of.

“Look,” says Charles, quieter now, “I wasn’t angling for nothing when I met her. She was just...nice, you know? And no one had been for an awful long time, not to me. She asked me if I was ready to go, and I said no, not really, I hadn’t done anything in this world that mattered. I hadn’t made a difference to anyone. And she said, you can go any time you want, but you know what? We happen to have a bit of a labour crunch in the Afterlife, and you just might be what they need.”

“I see,” says Edwin, whose hiring process had been considerably more traumatic. “I’ve never met her. Though one hears great things, of course.”

Charles blinks. “What, not even when you—”

“No,” says Edwin shortly. “No one came for me.” 

He stares down at the profusion of his desk, wrongfooted. He is meant to be ejecting Charles, for goodness’ sake, not indulging in confidences.

“Hey,” says Charles softly. He is bending down to catch Edwin’s eye. “If you don’t want me here, it’s no bother. I’ll just bugger off and find me another desk, yeah?”

Victory, surely? And yet, for some reason, Edwin’s mouth undoes all his efforts by blurting out: “It’s fine. You can take that side. Just don’t touch any of my books.”

Charles whoops. Edwin stares at him in dismay. “Brills, mate! I reckon we’ll rub along together very well. And I have the best desk ornament, check this out—” whereupon he whips a jar of bees out of his backpack.

“What in bleeding Christ,” says Edwin.

“Sick, innit?” says Charles, brandishing the jar of bees like a trophy. “I think they give the place the right kind of buzz.”

“Good God,” says Edwin faintly. 

Charles slides back onto the desk, jar of bees in his lap. He looks like he belongs there. Edwin has guarded this desk like a dragon for seventy years; all Charles has to do is sit on it once and make it unquestionably, irrevocably his.

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” he says earnestly. 

“Oh for crying out loud,” says Edwin. 

Alright, Dead Boy Detectives fandom,

we need to collectively jump on the AU train, who is with me?

[thequeereview]

Exclusive Interview: Alexandra Billings channels Julie Andrews in epic sci-fi series The Peripheral "Mary Poppins, who knew?!"

Exclusive Interview: Alexandra Billings channels Julie Andrews in epic sci-fi series The Peripheral “Mary Poppins, who knew?!”

When actress, singer, author, teacher and activist Alexandra Billings last spoke with The Queer Review in early 2020, she was making history on Broadway in Wicked as the first trans actor to portray Madame Morrible. It was a role that she returned to once theatreland reopened last year. Now, she’s lighting up our screens in Prime Video’s sci-fi epic, The Peripheral, opposite Chloë Grace Moretz.…