2012's Best Animated Feature Oscar for Brave shows us just how powerful branding can be. The Pixar label swayed Academy voters, most of whom failed to notice that it didn't feel much like a Pixar flick at all. The brain-trust responsible for the studio's extraordinary creative run picked up stakes for Disney, and their ethos was on full display with one of Brave's fellow nominees, Wreck-It Ralph. That film showed us all the wit and imagination that we expected from Pixar, while Brave remained a run-of-the-mill princess movie at best. The voters never looked past the studio names. Brave scored the gold, while the infinitely more deserving Wreck-It Ralph had to console itself with also-ran status. Hit the jump for my full review. Ironically, that proves very appropriate for a movie about an unappreciated video game villain who sets out in search of a little validation. It's a minor masterpiece, finally capturing the essence of video game culture in ways that more straightforward adaptations always missed. The Blu-ray release gives us another chance to take a look, and hopefully earn it a few more fans in the process. Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) certainly fits in with Pixar's gaggle of scruffy outcasts. In his world, video game characters are working joes who keep the kids entertained, only to kick up their heels once the arcade closes for the night. Unfortunately, the fellow denizens of his game view him as a loutish thug rather than the diligent co-worker he believes himself to ...
No comments:
Post a Comment