Mortal Engines (2018)

Link to more info: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571234/

Star rating: 5/10

Genre: Steampunk-action

Run time: 128 minutes

Studio: Universal Pictures

Director: Christian Rivers

Cast: Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Huga Weaving, Jihae

Review: 

Hey there,

I went to watch this movie with my family because my Dad was excited to see the cool machines that the filmmakers could come up with. While I found that part to be the saving grace of this film, even my Dad felt bored midway through the movie. “Quite predictable, no punch, but at least there were cool-ish machines,” was his summary of the film. My brother was more generous, stating that while it was nothing amazing, it wasn’t bad either. I am inclined to agree with them both.

This may actually be a controversial opinion but I found the movie fun. It was action-packed and the story was easy to follow. There was nothing too complicated for my mind to wrap around so I could just enjoy the movie for the sheer fun of it. The visuals were amazing and brought so many crazy ideas to life. I loved seeing what machines they could come up with, like the city in the sky. I also loved the idea of travelling cities and liked how the cities resembled our own with some cool tweaks.

However, the simple movie plot was probably why critics felt the need to leave unfavourable reviews. Another possible issue was the instantaneous romance between our 2 main characters. The chemistry between them was palpable but was not enough to make up for the flimsy story-telling. The romance build-up could have been lost in the adaptation from book to screen. I also found the ending cheesy but that’s a personal preference. Another problem, which could have been due to the adaptation process, is that of the backstory. There just isn’t much of it in the film. I don’t think I know why they decided to build moving cities after 2 hours of the movie. (This might be just me though, because my Dad and brother had to tell me how a major plot point was explained in an early scene in the film while referencing a backstory for the world of Mortal Engines. So if you are planning to watch this film, hopefully you won’t go in so blur*. If not, you may come out thinking the filmmakers missed something when in fact it was you… HAHA!)

One plot point I found incomprehensible was how Shan Guo reacted at the end of the film. (Refer to my P.S. at the end of this post for more spoiler-y info) Ultimately, this universe is full of idiots. For instance, I was completely disgusted at the beginning when the Londoners were cheering on the chase. It was sickening to watch the powerful bully the weak. Granted, after they caught the village, they took them in and cared for them. However, they clearly enjoyed the thrill of the chase. They chose to approach with force rather than make peace, and that is something that made my stomach turn. This was just my personal opinion and is possibly part of the film’s vague attempt of commentary on society in real life. Whichever it was, the rest of the film was great fun.

Overall, while my review seems filled with criticisms, it is genuinely a fun movie. I just wouldn’t be compelled to re-watch it. Let me know what you think, if you even watched the movie that is… *awkward laughter*… 😀

Thanks for reading

❤

 

*blur — Singlish term for being dense or slow

Other random thoughts: Did the poster remind anyone of another famous movie poster?

Another random thought: I thought that Robert Sheehan was Ben Whishaw at first. Now looking at the images online, I was far off. But does Sheehan look like half of Whishaw and half Eddie Redmayne? Is it just me?

Alternative view: I enjoy watching videos from this YouTube channel Let Me Explain and in this video he explains why he thinks The Mortal Engines flopped so badly at the box office.

 

 

P.S. SPOILERS AHEAD PROCEED WITH CAUTION

In Chinese, Shan Guo is 山国 which literally translates to ‘mountain country’ or ‘country of mountains’. That is my first language tidbit for everyone. Tidbit two is that the pronunciation used in the film is different from the Chinese one. Specifically, the [sha] in Shan was strangely pronounced like the [sha] like in “share” instead of the [shu] in “shut”, the latter which would be the correct Chinese pronunciation. The Guo as well is pronounced as [guh-woah] instead of [guh-w-aw]. But I suppose they were trying not to be too obvious that Shan Guo is China, or maybe I’m just completely wrong about this Chinese thing. Anyway, that is besides the point.

Shan Guo had destroyed cities in the past as seen from the carcasses outside The Great Wall when London was approaching with their nuclear weapon. They were also ready to annihilate London and everyone on it when they were being threatened.

However, after their precious wall, numerous homes and even lives had been destroyed by the invaders, the emperor still welcomed the Londoners into the walled city. If they would do that, why didn’t they just offer the same to other travelling cities? I’m not sure if I understand.

The DUFF (2015)

 

Rating: 9/10

Synopsis:  Bianca, a senior in high school, finds out that she is a DUFF, which stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend.

A clarification is in order! I know my 9/10 rating is higher than what I gave Incredibles 2 and I know some people are going to be super riled up about that. The thing is, my ratings are all on different scales. My ratings can’t be used to compare between films. The two are very very different and I rated them based on how the films made me feel and how I related to them. Timing is also important so if I had watched this at a different time, my rating will be different. What I’m saying is if I wanted to compare across films, my ratings would be on an infinite scale so I could order them from the lowest rating (The movie I liked the least) to the highest rating (The movie I liked the most).

On to my thoughts of the movie:

I first learnt about this movie while watching a ranty video about The Kissing Booth by Alex Myers. In it, he mentions The DUFF. I’d certainly heard of this movie before but I’d never bothered to watch it. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to give the movie a go. I really really ended up loving it!

It’s a rom-com. And from the get go, you already know what’s going to happen. As cliche as the story is, I couldn’t help but be glued to the movie the whole way through. It made me laugh out loud and almost cry at some points. I never really teared up but there was that slight discomfort in my chest. That to me, means the movie was undisputedly a good one. It made me care for the characters and relate to their struggles and successes. It was a wild and fun ride.

I’d like to continue talking about specific details in my spoilery section so if you haven’t yet watched the film and you want to save yourself the experience of watching it fresh, click away now! For the rest of you, feel free to continue reading about my in-depth thoughts.

Thanks for reading everyone!

❤

 

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!! Warning, Spoilers ahead!!

 

On to the spoilery discussion portion! Like I said earlier, the movie isn’t exactly breaking any boundaries in terms of plot. It’s cliche, you know exactly how it’s going to end even from looking at the poster. However, I couldn’t help but be absorbed by the romance at the center of the movie between Bianca and her neighbour/frenemy Wesley.

People who follow my posts on my book blog may know that I have this pet peeve, which is insta-romance. While this movie seems like an insta-romance, with the two going from enemies to friends to lovers pretty quickly, I think the way the movie made me feel is something that I’ve not experienced in a rom-com in a long time. As such, I wasn’t bothered by how fast Wesley moved on to Bianca. I’ll let this one slide.

After I let the story sit in my mind for a while, one improvement that could’ve been made was Wesley’s character. The movie could have developed him a little more. I think the side storyline between him and Madison and between him and his parents could have been explored a little further to really round out the romance. But since the show was meant to lead us on to think Bianca was gonna get with Toby Tucker (ew) then I guess focussing too much on Wesley would give the game away. BUT as I’ve said before, everyone knows they’ll end up together. So… that’s a strike against the movie but I guess I’ll let this one slide because of how charming Robbie Amell was as Wesley. (Anyone reading this know him first from True Jackson VP on Nickelodeon?? I really loved that show!) Even though the name itself is such a douchey sounding name (I mean, not that all Wesley’s are douchey) and he initially acts like he’s another blockhead who only plays football, he’s decently smart and a good friend to have. Not to mention he’s really cute HAHA but ahem… nevermind that.

Moving on to our titular character Bianca, there’s one fact about her that slipped my mind as I watched the movie. I was thus surprised to find out that her friends saw her as the intelligent one. Looking back, I realised that “Honour roll student” means someone who has excellent academic achievements. The whole time, I thought hacker-Casey was the smart one. I just thought Bianca was an average girl who liked watching hororr movies. The horror movie thing is something I can’t relate to but I guess it’s just a quirky thing Bianca does. We all have our quirks. Here I would like to give a shout out to both her wardrobe and set designer. The transition from the start to the end of the movie in her clothing style sort of shows the growth of her character.

I think Bella Thorne’s role as Madison the “villain” is really really good. You just love to hate her. Not to mention she’s incredibly beautiful, or I guess “hot” if that’s an appropriate thing to say. Between the lines, Madison might in fact have issues of her own, perhaps insecurities that make her act the way she does. I hope she figures it out but I’m actually glad she was mean because if not, the movie wouldn’t be half as great.

Bianca’s Mom Dottie Piper, as played by Allison Janney, is hilarious! Ken Jeong, Chris Wylde and Romany Malco as two teachers and the principal of the school respectively were also hilarious in their supporting roles.

The movie in general is just really funny. I laughed out loud at some parts because of how silly and light hearted it was. I think the acting was pretty good though I will admit the contrast between Bianca and her two friends is so stark it makes her friends unbelievable. Mae Whitman has a normal level of good-looking but her friends are higher than average looking such that it’s quite jarring. It’s not really something you see everyday in real life. I know this is the whole point of the movie but this was one part where I found it hard to suspend my disbelief.

True, the movie had its high points, but it really hit some low points as well. I really related to that moment when Bianca felt humiliated in front of the whole school. I have been fortunate to have never been bullied in school. But I have felt that creeping feeling like everyone knew something bad about me or talked about me behind my back that I was a loser. And it hurt to even think about it, let alone experience it waved right in front of your face. The part where she sits on the toilet and cries really got to me. It might have been a completely different situation but that raw feeling of feeling so disappointed and ashamed was palpable. I almost cried myself the first time I watched it.

Moving away from that depressing but also plus point (for the movie), something I found interesting is that the teachers in this show really care about their student’s academics and how they’re doing outside of class. For instance, the science teacher takes action with regards to Wesley’s failing grades. Mr Arthur spoke to Bianca to give her solid life advice in a supportive and non-intrusive way. Even the principal had the best of intentions despite his hard handed approach. It’s something we don’t really see so much in teen movies and I think it would be good to have more of these characters.

My only last gripe with this movie is that I think the last part where they start to make out a lot is a little overboard. Doesn’t anyone take it slow anymore??

Another message I do want to say is that while I agree that everyone should love and care for themselves, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to put effort into your appearance. It’s actually a good thing to want to take care of your body and be healthy, exercising regularly and eating right. I know this isn’t entirely related but I think for all the talk about loving your body whatever the size, it’s still an important for people to know that it is in fact recommended to keep your body healthy. Yeah… it’s just been on my mind recently so this felt like here is as good a place as any to say that.

Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to read this long post. I hope you enjoyed the movie as much as I did. Feel free to let me know if you’ve watched it what you thought about it! Have a great day 🙂

 

 

P.S. I watched the first half of this movie a second time just because I had nothing better to do while waiting for university to start. I managed to spot a possible movie mistake:
Wesley forgets his backpack in the science lab after he learns he’s suspended from the football team. He just takes his science textbook but leaves his backpack in the classroom.

How The DUFF tapped into their niche market to make a hit: https://variety.com/2015/film/news/the-duff-social-media-teen-girls-mae-whitman-robbie-amell-1201442320/

Some interesting points: https://wcfcourier.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/the-duff-charms-despite-familiar-plotline/article_e2e11337-a4f1-5ec4-9c05-cc266af8c5b5.html

Despite what the URL seems to suggest, no this review is not just about Robbie Amell: https://www.vox.com/2015/2/20/8074025/duff-review-robbie-amell

The Truman Show (1998)

 

Rating: 7/10

Synopsis: An ordinary man living a seemingly ordinary life finds out that he’s the star of his own TV show and that his whole life was a lie.

Review:

I came across this movie while I was looking at a bunch of movie colour palettes. I remembered hearing about this “show within a show” thing. It sounded really trippy and eerie but not in a supernatural way, so I decided to give this a shot.

I think it was interesting and definitely worth the watch. This movie is already 20 years old but it still freaked me out a little and is wholly believable. I think the movie is good because it gives you the heebie-jeebies even though nothing overtly scary is happening. It’s just the atmosphere and the concept of the show that creeps up on you. While it is a bit of a drama/thriller, there are still some touching moments. (EDIT: Apparently it is also a comedy? I don’t think so though.)

The movie is an interesting commentary on society’s obsession and consumption of media. Again, even though it was made 20 years ago, this dystopia is still relatable to us now. The commentary is fresh and thought-provoking. I would highly recommend this movie for its own merits and also so that you’ll finally be able to get these obscure references to this movie in pop culture.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your movie!

❤

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!! Warning, spoilers ahead!!

Now on to discussing some more specific details and elements in the movie.

No. 1: Jim Carrey is a little freaky. Less freaky than he is now but he was still pretty freaky 20 years ago.

No. 2: Not sure if I would’ve noticed if I hadn’t known the premise of the movie before I started watching, but I could see all the cameras. The dark globes on Truman’s fence, his neighbour’s dustbin, his neighbour’s dog’s collar, the deliberate showing of the ad. Later on, I notice that the details were shown again, in the exact same sequence as Truman goes about his day. It would’ve been really cool if I only noticed the cameras later on. So I feel like people should go into the movie not knowing anything about it. Then the desired effect is more likely to be achieved. (EDIT: The first link I provided at the end of the post show that in the original screenplay, the fact that Truman was in a reality show is a 3rd act plot twist. In the final version, they chose to let audiences know right from the beginning.)

No. 3: I quite like the look and feel of the movie. The time period of the movie is very optimistic and happy-go-lucky. I like looking at the old-timey fashion, the old technology, the shops, buildings and behaviours. It’s reminiscent of a warmer climate.

No. 4: The movie isn’t really humorous as much as thought-provoking. It could’ve done with a bit of light-heartedness but I think that would’ve taken away too much from the commentary. (EDIT: In context of the time that this show was filmed, reality TV wasn’t yet a thing so it wasn’t a commentary as much as a thought experiment.)

No. 5: I don’t understand why they had to manufacture a storyline for him. Why did they have to make him fall in love with this person or do certain things, isn’t the whole point of the reality show to show him naturally. If he’s going to fall in love with person A, don’t force him to fall in love with person B. I wonder if it was possible that everyone on the set knew they were being filmed except for Truman. They are all allowed to go about their lives as usual, go to work and to school etc. But then this whole fabricated world is to film Truman. It’s probably not possible but the original premise is just as bananas.

No. 6: I really loved the ending. I really loved Truman’s last line. It sort of gave me goosebumps. It got even cooler when I realised it was something Carrey came up with as a tribute to his father. (Vanity fair article below)

Thanks for reading!

❤

 

P.S. Interesting links:

Original screenplay — http://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/40216/1/the-original-truman-show-screenplay-was-way-way-darker

Behind the scenes on what went into making this classic film —  https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/06/truman-show-anniversary-jim-carrey-peter-weir-laura-linney

Fictional companies — http://fictionalcompanies.wikia.com/wiki/Penn_Pavel%27s

An insanely in-depth look at all the tropes of The Truman Show (Seriously though, who comes up with this stuff) — https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/TheTrumanShow

Conspiracy theory — https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/63i3w3/the_truman_show_speculations_on_what_happened/

The Kissing Booth (2018)

 

 

Rating: 1/5

Synopsis: A girl falls for her best friend’s brother. This becomes a problem as she and her best friend made rules when they were young, one of them being “Relatives are strictly off-limits”. Who is more important? Her life-long best friend or her new crush?

Non-spoiler review: 

I thought it was super duper cringey. It’s nothing new in the teenage romance genre. I would recommend this as a guilty pleasure kind of movie. If you know that you enjoy this kind of sappy romance movie, then go ahead. If you’re looking for something engaging and fresh, look elsewhere. I do admit that I would’ve enjoyed this more if I had watched it when I was younger. But now… I don’t think it’s that great.

I will admit, it was enjoyable in the beginning, but as the story unfolded, I just thought it was so stupid. I finished watching it anyway and now it’s a funny story I like to tell others. It’s something you either secretly love or something you openly love to hate. (Or both HAHA)

 

Thanks for reading and enjoy your movie!

❤

 

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!!Warning Spoilers ahead!!

What is good about this movie? Well, I might be of the unpopular opinion that Joel Courtney, who plays Lee Flynn, is easy on the eyes. 😉

I liked the dance scenes at the arcade and also the scenes at the carnival. The colours and lighting of the scenes were also very pleasing to the eye. It’s a form of escapism for me as well because I don’t go to arcades and carnivals so often.

I also liked the relationship between Elle and Lee, which I will mention again later. Suffice to say it is many a person’s dream to have a BFF relationship like that.

That’s about it I think. Now on to the parts I didn’t really like.

First, it’s an insta-romance. Now, I know that Noah is Lee’s older brother. Since Elle and Lee hang out a lot, Elle and Noah would interact. They would also interact a lot since their families are very close. However, I have 2 arguments against this:

1. When Noah says “I enjoy hanging out with you.” At which point previously have these two ever hung out? Elle and Lee are best friends. They spend virtually every second together. When would Elle have hung out with Noah for long enough for Noah to say that?
2. Elle says that she and Lee were brought up as if they were twins, or siblings at least. If that’s the case, I imagine she would also have seen Noah as an older brother figure. Then this is just some incestuous-ish romance.

Due to the reasons stated above, I found their romance so forced and unbelievable. When they declared their love for each other, it was meant to be a sweet and swelling moment in the film. But it just felt melodramatic because it seemed so ludicrous.

To be fair, maybe these characters fell in love over the course of activities that weren’t shown in the film. Who knows, but the scenes in the film don’t really show it. I also have a personal bias because I think it’s more likely that the BFFs end up together. I really enjoyed watching Elle and Lee’s friendship. They are super comfortable with each other and are incredibly supportive of each other in their individual pursuits. I really liked the dance scene in the beginning of the film where they dance in step. As much as I would like for them to get together, I cannot support it because as I’ve said earlier, Elle and Lee were raised as twins and a romance would’ve been somewhat incestuous. Oh well.

I found Lee’s romance with Rachel just as ridiculous as the one between Elle and Noah, but the way they met was so sweet I can’t help but just let it slide.

Next, I think the fact that Noah is a tormented soul and fights people is such a cringey trope. I think most things should not be resolved with physical violence. I can’t imagine how someone who gets into fights all the time and acts like a complete buffoon can be attractive. It’s the bad boy becomes a good boy trope. I just think that girls should try to be smarter in their choices and perhaps choose someone who is better at controlling their anger. But maybe I’m being idealistic and pushing my values onto others. Nobody is perfect after all.

Even without taking into account his tendency to use his fists instead of his head, there’s the problem of him being a player. I’m not exaggerating. Even Elle types that out in the “Cons” column of her evaluation of Noah. He was making out with a random girl at a party without knowing her that well. He brings a lot of girls to secluded spots for make out sessions. 95% of the girls he takes on his bike end up making out with him. You get the idea. Noah’s other reason for liking Elle is also painfully typical:

“You’re not like all the other girls. You’re the only one who doesn’t fall at my feet.”

That’s kind of a lousy reason to like someone.

But I’ve ranted enough. Let’s move on to the final bit.

There were several themes in the movie. The kissing booth, the rules and their love for dance. These themes were each given the same amount of screen time. I think if the movie was longer, we could’ve seen more of these elements come into play. At this point, because all three elements were almost equally balanced, it felt a bit too spread out. The movie seemed scattered and unfocused. This is a small matter though.

Overall, it’s a summertime rom-com. It’s supposed to be lighthearted and silly. If you’re looking for something like this, then sure, it’s fun to watch. For me, most of my romance dealbreakers are present in this movie so of course I’m going to give it a low rating. Despite that, I enjoyed watching the film because it was easy to digest. So, take away what you will from this discussion, I hope you can form your own opinion about the film. Feel free to share your thoughts on the film, rom-com tropes or anything else in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your movie!

❤

 

P.S. Some extra goodies and thoughts…

An interview with the author of the book that the movie is based on: 

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-kissing-booth-author-beth-reekles

Some recommended books: http://www.penguinteen.com/what-to-read-after-watching-netflixs-the-kissing-booth/

I don’t know why, but I think Joel Courtney, who plays Lee Flynn, looks a lot like Ross Lynch. I think it’s the nose, the build, the hair and they way they talk. I thought they really were the same person when I was watching the trailer. A doppelgänger!

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Rating: 4/5

This is going to be a somewhat “spoilery” discussion because I’m not sure how to voice my opinion without mentioning plot points. While I tried my best not to include specific details that will give anything away, I still feel like even mentioning non-pivotal scenes will ruin the viewing experience. So, if you have seen the film, feel free to read on about my thoughts and some of my friends’ thoughts as well.

If you’ve not yet seen the film, I would highly recommend you watch it. It’s really really fun, whether you’ve seen the first film or not. Bring your kids, your parents, the whole family!

Hope you enjoy the movie 😀

❤

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!!Warning Spoilers ahead!!

Short film: Bao

I will say. It was not what I expected. I knew it was weird from the beginning obviously. What kind of a food sprouts arms, legs and a body???

When the MOMENT happens (that shocking moment), my friend next to me, CJ, SCREAMED. For real. It was kind of embarrassing but also made the experience doubly hilarious. But to be fair, the whole theatre exclaimed in their own ways. We were all shocked. Nonetheless, we quickly figured that it was probably a dream.

I think the story is quite relatable. Food and eating together as a family or group is an integral part of my life. Eating is pretty much what most of our gatherings are based around. The ending where her son comes back and looks apologetic but doesn’t know what to say, reminds me of myself and my parents. Affection doesn’t come very easily to me or my family, not like most American movies I’ve watched. Usually, a fight in my family thaws on its own, without emotion, when we just start talking together again at dinnertime. So in that way, I found the ending to be very sweet.

Movie: Incredibles 2

I think my friend, A, summed it up pretty well. “This feels more like Incredibles 2.0 rather than a sequel.”

And he’s right. He pointed out throwbacks to the first movie added in here and there. The biggest of which was the whole plot of the movie itself. However, I am willing to give it a pass because most superhero films have the same plot anyway. There were moments in the new film that echoed iconic moments in the first. Pixar knew how to play their audience, that’s for sure. It’s these moments that resonated and probably evoked a sense of nostalgia for old viewers like myself.

Naturally, this means that the story was pretty predictable. I could tell who the baddies were from the very beginning, or at least I was pretty close. Even so, I think A said it best yet again, “Honestly I cant even fault them for being predictable because it’s been 14 years since the last film.”

I think the story contains some “hidden messages” regarding things such as reversing traditional gender roles (Which in my opinion isn’t anything new anymore because my generation is already used to the idea. Who stays at home and who goes out to work depends on family to family.) , changing the laws, and being true to who you are. I’m sure the creators spent a lot of time and effort incorporating the messages and commentary about events happening in real life. I don’t think I managed to notice all of them, but maybe I will on a second watch. Anyway, this is not so important to me because I was only here for a good movie.

I really loved all the original characters. On the other hand, all the new superheroes were just meh. I really don’t like the insecure teenager, Claire/Void. Her power is cool but the way she acts is a bit cringy and hard to watch. It seems like an extreme caricature of the typical “shy” and “insecure” teenager. The other superheroes weren’t the most attractive bunch.

My favourite character in this film is obviously Jack Jack. When I was younger, I loved Violet. She’s still pretty awesome, along with Dash. But in this movie, Jack Jack definitely stole the show! I loved the interaction between Edna and Jack Jack. It’s downright hilarious!

Not including those scenes, I still laughed so hard and so often during the movie. It’s not just me either because I could hear adults and teenagers alike chortling at the humour in the film. The theatre was packed mostly with adults and teens, with young children making up a minority. I’m sure the film will be seen by a new generation of kids, but I can see that this film is largely a gift for the older fans.

Again, I think the film touched on some mature topics like spousal relations, work, rights etc. The conversation and tension between Bob and Helen Parr was nuanced and funny because we as teens and adults understood that kind of subtle humour. But this kind of humour is precisely the kind that would fly over a child’s head. I think scenes like Jack Jack vs the racoon and other slapstick comedy moments could help keep the kids engaged. I just found that the subtle humour was, ironically, more prominent than the slapstick. So perhaps the film did justice to the older fans but fell a little short on entertaining kids. But who am I to say, maybe the kids enjoyed it as well.

Colour-wise, I felt that the second film was brighter and more saturated. Another thing I noticed was that the fashion and technology in the film is something straight from the 1950s or 60s. I had never noticed it before. While the world has electric scooters, cool jets and hover trains, they still use old-school film cameras and Setron TVs. For the first time, I noticed the fashion of the other characters in the film were straight out of a vintage catalogue. Giant circle skirts for women and full-on suits and fedoras for men.

(I’ve found an article linked here that explains exactly which year the Incredibles movie is set in and why. How fascinating!)

The animation was good as usual. I think the studio had a tough time taking the new technology they had gained in the last decade and a half and reconciling it with the look and feel of the first movie. But kudos to them because I think they did a wonderful job. The world looks richer and more alive! Keep it up Pixar 😀

Thanks for reading and enjoy your movie ~

❤

P.S. Cool stuff I found while “researching” for this post:

https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/cinema-palettes-famous-movie-colors/

https://twitter.com/CINEMAPALETTES

https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/creative-movie-posters-film-art-peter-majarich/

EDIT (25/6/18): 

What Brad Bird said about the Incredibles 2: https://hellogiggles.com/news/incredibles-2-feminist/

Some new stuff I found out about the movie. People have obviously been jumping on the idea that the movie is “feminist” and so have I. However, it seems that the creators didn’t intend to portray it in a feminist way. They were just hoping to recreate reality. I definitely agree with this because my dad is the stay-at-home dad while my mum works. I’ve heard similar stories from my friends and neighbours. It’s nothing new. My comment in my original post above was a tad annoyed because I felt like the creators were trying to shove political correctness down our throats. Now I see that perhaps I was being too sensitive.

Review of the film: https://www.dailywire.com/news/32234/review-incredible-y-feminist-letdown-michael-j-knowles

The above review seems a tad misinformed. Helen Parr was certainly more reluctant to leave her family than the review made it seem. Bob Parr did face trouble in his early time as a stay-at-home dad but later improves and shows that he is just as capable as the Mrs.

I do agree that the plot doesn’t really “thicken” over the course of the movie. I gave them a pass but I can understand why the writer did not.

I think there were plenty of  “universal human problems” in the film. Dash struggles with math in school. Violet struggles with a new crush. Bob struggles to keep up with his 3 children. Helen finds it difficult initially to be away from the children and going solo.