ANTZ (1998) movie *** score ****1/2

Amiable, occasionally amusing, unpretentious, brilliantly animated, well-voiced and superbly scored tale of a humble (and neurotic) worker-ant (voiced by Woody ‘bundle of neuroses’ Allen) who desires to break free from the conformity of life within the colony. In the process, Woody becomes enmeshed in colony politics, most notably the despotic machinations of General Mandible….a brilliant creation, voiced by Gene Hackman.

Not quite as clever, witty and involving as TOY STORY, but a fine entertainment nevertheless. The script’s not quite as good as it might have been….in-jokes and rather self-conscious references to other movies are all very well….but the dialogue really could have been sharpened up a little.

Many have described ANTZ as one of those movies that appeals to all ages….from kids to octogenarians….and to a certain degree it does appeal to a very broad audience. However, in many ways ANTZ wasn’t quite CLEVER enough to FULLY entertain the kids….there was probably more for the ‘grown-up’ audience who aren’t necessarily going to be clamouring for toilet-humour or cruel-comic-violence like the children, and the adult audience is also more likely to be willing to give the movie more of a chance, and forgive any of the movies’ lulls, moments of dubious quality, or shortcomings, than the more demanding child audience….and yet there wasn’t really enough subtle humour or complex plot development to FULLY entertain the adult audience either….so ANTZ, to some extent, fell between two stools….a good movie, but coming nowhere near fulfilling its possible potential. In fact, the grandkids (aged seven to twelve) thought the movie was OKAY, but nothing more. You know what children are like…..they are the most demanding of audiences, and the harshest of critics. Perhaps if the filmmakers had gone for a more energetic pace, and an earthier and cruder script, the kids may have been ‘hooked’….as it was, the movie was a little too basic, and paradoxically, TOO CHILDISH to keep their full attention for the duration of the movie. Overall, the movie was a little too sanitized….it was TOO harmless to get the kids giggling. More comic-violence and a few more gags like when the bugs were eating crap was what the kids wanted…..a bit more ‘SOUTH PARK’, SCREAM or HELLRAISER humour….I could see the kids faces as they were watching the movie…..they were longing for Mr Hanky, Pinhead or a ‘screaming-skull mask’ to turn up.

Many have asked what I mean exactly when I talk about a score successfully incorporating CMS (contemporary musical sensibilities). Media Ventures’ score to ANTZ is one of the best SINGLE examples of a successfully CMS score that I have come across…..it was brilliant. Powell, Gregson-Williams and other MV composers did a marvellous job of incorporating all those CMS attributes that I have often talked about. Once again the ‘Zimmer School’ has combined and created a wholly successful film score that includes elements of many disparate styles and yet still maintains a robust framework…a magnificent blending of traditional and contemporary musical styles…..with dense orchestration and maximum orchestral fluidity…the brass and acoustic percussion didn’t at any time overwhelm the rest of the orchestra (a common fault in a non-CMS score)…..an approach that appeals to the majority of the audience. Powell’s FACE/OFF is another great example of a successfully CMS score. Powell is evidently an extremely skilled and versatile composer, a willing exponent of CMS (applying the most appropriate music at the right time), and, based on the evidence of his work thus far, has an exceptional aptitude for film scoring. This is the ‘model’ film composer as we enter the 21st century….and it’s not just the Zimmer School that espouses the virtues of CMS. Virtually every other movie composer, with ONE or two notable exceptions, is embracing the values of CMS to suit their own style of composition. That’s the beauty of CMS….it doesn’t exclude those composers with a particular style or approach (just so long as the composer has knowledge of all major forms of music, including classical, pop and jazz….and is willing to use them, not just from movie to movie, or even scene to scene….but from moment to moment….this may undermine the effectiveness of the music on the album, but that’s not important….the music MUST work for the film first) ….only those composers who are not WILLING to give their movies the most appropriate score based on the nature of the movie and the contemporary musical sensibilities of society as a whole, are not found beneath the CMS umbrella.

PARADISIO (UK 1961) movie ½ score ½

One of the most eccentric ‘movies’ I have ever seen….and certainly one of the worst. The movie’s short running time was its only asset….apart from the wonderful British actor Arthur Howard.

Arthur (brother of Leslie Howard) appeared in innumerable British movies from the 40’s right through to the 90’s….this is the only lead role he had…I think. Usually he would appear in very small parts, usually for only one scene, playing a waiter or a butler or an official…..he’s certainly one of those faces everyone knows but hardly anyone can put a name to (despite his famous brother). Probably his most famous role was as Pettigrew in the long running British comedy series Whack-O!

PARADISIO is a particularly childish comedy/thriller….but, it is neither funny or thrilling. The plot involves an English professor touring Europe, and his being given a pair of sunglasses that allows him to see women without their clothes on. There is hardly any dialogue, and the plot is particularly stupid….and, though you do get to see a lot of breasts, handily placed furniture and suchlike prevents any groin-shots. Interestingly, the movie is shot in black and white, but the view through the sunglasses is seen in colour.

SHANGHAI NOON - A very fine film, and a worthy follow-up to Jackie Chan's RUSH HOUR. The film was full of good scenes and funny moments. And it's very gratifying to see that Owen Wilson was actually given something to do compared to last year's THE HAUNTING. Lucy Liu (Ally McBeal) was also good; she should play nice roles more often.
Though with the violence and racial slurs, this film works hard for its PG-13. Randy Edelman's score is almost on a par with DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY in terms of its Asian elements, and the Western music is pretty good as well, though the electronics bog the score, as a whole, down.

Movie and Score: 4/5

DINOSAUR - It's nice to see Disney taking a step in the right direction in terms of how to handle an animated movie (No musical numbers? Hooray!! ). The voice cast was quite good, and the animation breathtaking.
James Newton Howard's score, which (in a good way) sounds like the long-lost twin of Hans Zimmer's THE LION KING, is excellent. I've known that Howard was a good composer, but now I realize why people make such a great fuss over him.

VERA CRUZ (US 1953) movie *1/2 score ***

This movie is SO stultifyingly ridiculous that virtually all vestige of entertainment value is extinguished well before the closing credits roll…..a common trait of Aldrich’s generally poor career output (except for 1969’s excellent TOO LATE THE HERO movie **** score ***).

VERA CRUZ takes place in 1860 imperial Mexico, and Americans Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster are enlisted by the emperor to ensure the safe delivery of a gold shipment to the Atlantic coast, eventually bound for Mexico’s imperial masters in France.

Cooper is at his most wooden, and Lancaster’s shark-grin is simply nauseating…..even Medusa would flinch at Burt’s luminous set of dentures. Borgnine and Bronson are on hand, in their usual minor early-50’s roles, and Cesar Romero and George McCready provide the only good performances amongst an admittedly colourful supporting cast.

Indeed, the movie is colourful, the photography is excellent, Friedhofer’s score is fine, and the Mexican army is excellently costumed. However, nothing in the movie convinces…..not necessarily a bad thing….a fun movie doesn’t HAVE to convince….but this was just kindergarten pantomime stuff, much like Lancaster’s toothily hideous CRIMSON PIRATE from 1952.

So, is VERA CRUZ worth watching?…..no way Pedro.

HOLD BACK THE DAWN (US 1941) movie **** score ***1/2

This absolutely wonderful romantic melodrama has cold-hearted womanizer Charles Boyer, stuck in Mexico, attempting to gain American citizenship by conning sweet and innocent Californian schoolteacher Olivia DeHavilland into marriage.

The two legendary movie-stars are excellent….Boyer is always at his best playing the charming gentleman with an ulterior motive (as in 1944’s GASLIGHT), and the great British Hollywood-actress De Havilland is equally at home playing the naïve and pretty American (as was her sister, Joan Fontaine…the personification of ‘The English Rose’). An excellent supporting cast included Paulette Goddard as Boyer’s partner in deception, Victor Francen as another European holed-up on the border, desperate to get out of Mexico, and the ever-reliable Walter Abel as an American border immigration officer.

The movie’s atmosphere is quite unusual and effective….there’s often a noirish tint to the proceedings, especially at the beginning of the movie, and the Mexican locations are authentic, and yet somehow larger-than-life. Victor Young’s score is suitably melodramatic, but it is the excellent use of Mexican source music that makes the most impact….I have a particular liking for Mexican music, so I’m a little biased. There was also much comedy, drama, and some suspense too.

Most importantly, the movie’s resolution is especially satisfactory…..in fact, this movie has something that most movie-goers will appreciate…it is a human story, it demonstrates mankind’s weakness, but also man’s ability to change, to ‘turn over a new leaf’, to become something he was not before.

In many ways, HOLD BACK THE DAWN is far more reminiscent of many 90’s romantic-comedy-dramas than of 40’s Hollywood….the movie has a relaxed confidence, makes intelligent observations, and ‘pulls no punches’ in demonstrating human nature at its worst, and at its BEST. By the way, the movie begins rather unusually, as Boyer’s character, desperate to sell his story, recounts his tale to a movie director (we see the director of HOLD BACK THE DAWN himself, Mitchell Leisen)….we even get to see Brian Donlevy and Veronica Lake on the set of a movie being shot at the same time as HOLD BACK THE DAWN….that movie being I WANTED WINGS.