Paranoia Agent (series) Review

   

     Of all the works of Satoshi Kon Paranoia Agent is the one I understand the least and that is an undeniably good thing.

     After making his 3rd film, Tokyo Godfathers, Kon had a lot of leftover ideas that he wanted to use.  “Paranoia Agent” is the child of those ideas.  The series follows a group of people living in Tokyo and their interactions with each other after a series of attacks by a young boy with a baseball bat known as Little Slugger sweep the city.  The interesting thing about “Paranoia Agent” is that there is no real central character.  Each character gets his or her own time to shine in the events of the series and relate to the others in one way or another.  If there’s one word I’d use to describe Paranoia Agent’s plot it would be confusing, but I mean that in the best of ways.  Every episode will leave you confused one way or another but most things are explained by the end of the show’s 13 episode run.  I think that’s one of the things I appreciate the most about Paranoia Agent.  Kon had a story to tell and made no side trips or tangents in his telling of it unlike so many anime shows that prolong the lifespan of their show by filler episode after filler episode.  There may be portions that seem nonsensical at first like the absolutely bizarre episode 4 but everything is there for a purpose and will ultimately be resolved by the show’s end.

     There’s not much more I can say about the plot without spoiling anything so I won’t even attempt to but it goes without saying that this show is dark and very uncomfortable at times.  The characters have many layers, ranging from thought provoking to downright evil.  Kon is obviously not afraid to be political or deal with uncomfortable, taboo topics in society.  There is a wide range of characters here which is refreshing and it’s interesting to see how he weaves them into each story he tells over the show’s run.  And what a run it is!  Paranoia Agent’s story has so many twists and turns, some great, some unlikely, and others downright bizarre.  If I have one complaint with Paranoia Agent it’s just that; the plot at times is too weird for its own good.  Some elements are cool and make sense in the context of the world presented but some, especially as the show gets closer to its finale are downright weird and made me wish that some things were left intentionally unresolved so the audience could create their own meaning behind it.  

     The animation is pretty standard for a japanese tv show.  The quality is good.  Occasionally there are people in the crowd who don’t seem to move or blink but that’s to be expected.  The characters are well-designed and have a lot more personality than traditional animes.  The voices are also pretty typical for an english dub.  They are not bad, just not particularly memorable but Paranoia Agent is more about the mystery of the story then the acting anyways.  Arguably the most problematic thing about Paranoia Agent is its availability.  The US DVD set had an incredibly limited release and prices are now around $200 for the thirteen episodes which is crazy even by anime standards.   It’s not available on Netflix Instant or Hulu but I was able to find all the episodes in English on Youtube and watch it that way but who knows how long that’ll last.  My advice is watch it while you can.  It’s a great show for those wanting a dark, mystery series that isn’t afraid to be controversial, just be warned that it’s not for kids.

4 out of 5 stars.

Regular Show and Adventure Time get DVD releases!

     One of the most frustrating things about Cartoon network shows is that they are rarely released in season form on DVD.  Sure, we got the first season of Adventure Time last year but most fans thought that would be it, especially since Cartoon Network has still been releasing collection DVDs even after its release.

There is good news!  CN has announced season 2 of Adventure Time will be released June 4th followed by the first two seasons of The Regular Show on July 16th.  Both shows will have releases on both DVD and Blu-Ray and will have loads of special features including audio commentary.

Both are available for preorder on Amazon.com (Adventure Time, The Regular Show)  and surprisingly, the Blu-Ray price is cheaper than the DVD price on Regular Show.  If you like these shows please purchases these seasons as it may help Cartoon Network release more of their shows on DVD.

The Fantasia That Never Was

     One of the things that has always interested me the most in the animation world are the projects that don’t make it.  Whether it’s Pixar’s cancelled “Newt” or Disney’s “King of the Elves”, sometimes animation is just shelved before it ever really gets off the ground.  Yet sometimes, rarely, but sometimes, a movie will be shelved mid-production.  Such was the case for Disney’s Fantasia 2006, a proposed follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Fantasia 2000.  While the film was cancelled (probably due to the modest box-office gross of Fantasia 2000), four shorts were fully completed for the project and quietly released in various forms.  I’ve compiled three of the four for your viewing pleasure.

     The first short is the one that I couldn’t find anywhere on the internet.  It’s called “Lorenzo” and is about a cat whose tail has a personality of its own.  The stills I’ve found are stylish and the short sounds amusing but alas, I could not find it.  It was released theatrically with the film “Raising Helen” but hasn’t been released since.  The closest thing I could find was a trailer.  

     The second short is “One by One” a charming piece set to a piece of music from The Lion King’s broadway run.  While relatively short for a Fantasia piece, “One by One” has a great sense of style and heart to it and I dare anyone to watch it and not feel at least a little happy by its conclusion.  This short was released on DVD with “The Lion King 2” as a bonus feature.  

     The third short is “Destino”, a project that has been in development since the 40s.  Originally a partnership between Salivdor Dali and Walt Disney himself, “Destino” is a weird, surreal trip unlike any Fantasia piece before it.  This is probably because it started out as an individual short but was adopted as one for the potential Fantasia 2006.  This one was quietly released on the Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 DVD and Blu-ray set but can be seen below.  Note, it has some nudity but is nothing offensive.

     Last but certainly not least is, “The Little Match Girl” a sad short based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson.  It’s a heartbreaking tale of a little girl trying to sell matches and has a very un-Disney ending.  It was released on the DVD version of “The Little Mermaid” and is noteworthy for being the last Disney animated piece to use the CAPS system started in the 90s.  

                               

     It’s a shame this project never came to fruition because the shorts are great.  I would have loved to see the end result but at least Disney gave us the chance to view these completed shorts.  

A Cat in Paris Review

A Cat In Paris:

     As a die hard animation fan, I make it a goal to see all the films nominated for best animated feature at the academy awards.  This year was an anomaly as I hadn’t seen any of the nominees before the show.  Thankfully a few months later, Netflix had put up the two foreign films, “A Cat in Paris” and “Chico and Rita” for instant streaming and I decided to finally give them a whirl.

     “A Cat in Paris” was an interesting film.  While there was nothing in it that I would say deemed it “adult animation” thematically, it definitely wasn’t a movie for kids.  The story is centered on three main characters, a police woman named Jeanne who lost her husband in an incident a few years ago, her daughter Zoey, and a thief named Nico who robs houses at night.  Throughout the duration of the film, these three seemingly unrelated characters’ lives are slowly drawn together through a cat.  The cat is Zoey’s pet cat who lives with her and her mom during the day and explores the rooftops with Nico at night.  This cat is an entirely silent character but has a lot of personality in its movements and expressions.  I won’t spoil any more of the film but I will say that the cat is instrumental in brining the three of them together as well as bringing to light the man responsible for the death of Zoey’s father and his group of ragtag villains.  It’s a dark, spirited tale that only the French could tell and plays well with the style of animation the movie presents.

     And what would an animated movie be without style?  “A Cat in Paris” is rife with it, boasting an art direction blending the likes of Little Nino’s Pizzeria and the cartoons of the New Yorker.  It is colorful, atmospheric, and moody and the saturate colors do a great job showing the abstract Paris the film depicts.  The film does a good job showing the world it presents through the eyes of both Zoey and the adult characters.  Zoey’s room is bright and saturate while later in the movie there are some bizarre and somewhat disturbing Salivor Dali-esque dream sequences that add to the dark nature of her mother’s loss.  This mixture of extreme stylistic choices works well for the film and the art direction is probably my favorite part of the movie.

     The English voices are good but what remains slightly... misplaced is the English dialogue which seems like it’s trying to be witty but never quite hits its mark.  Perhaps it’s just something that didn’t translate well from the original French but it’s noticeable and ruins the otherwise perfect atmosphere the movie presents.  The other thing that I noticed was the film’s length.  At a mere 70 minutes, the film feels short but at the same time I felt it slowed in the middle as well.  Neither of these was a bad thing overall, it just felt like there were some pacing issues.  It’s also a movie I probably wouldn’t buy because it doesn’t have a lot of replay value.

     All that said, you can only see one of the five animated films nominated for Best Animated picture this year I think “A Cat in Paris” should be the one.  I enjoyed it much more than the quirky “Rango” and a lot more than Dreamworks’ “Puss N Boots”.  Despite its faults, it’s still an enjoyable romp through the rooftops of Paris.

3.5 out of 5.

Finding Nemo 2 is official and gets a new title!

Pixar's long-rumored Finding Nemo sequel was officially announced today and got a new name.  The film, now titled "Finding Dory" will be released Nov 25th 2015, the same year as Pete Docter's "The Inside Out" which means if all goes well we'll have two Pixar films in one year!

Little is known about "Finding Dory" although it is rumored it will take place along the California coastline and will take place about a year after the events of the original film.  Andrew Stanton is returning to direct this one.

You can read the full article on the Huffington Post.

Thoughts?

Netflix adds Cartoon Network shows!

Netflix's deal with Cartoon Network has officially started.  Today they've added the first seasons of many shows including:

Adventure Time
The Regular Show
My Gym Partner is a Monkey
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Samurai Jack
Chowder
Johnny Test
Code Lyoko
Johnny Bravo
Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc
Cow and Chicken
Generator Rex
Ben 10
Ben 10 Alien Force
Ben 10 Ultimate Alein

Also all three seasons of The Powerpuff Girls
3 seasons of Codename Kids Next Door
2 seasons of Dexter's Laboratory
Batman Beyond
Justice League Unlimited
2 Seasons of the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
2 Seasons of Camp Lazlo
2 seasons of Courage the Cowardly Dog
2 Seasons of Ed, Edd, and Eddy
2 seasons of Batman the Brave and the Bold

Also in this deal are a bunch of adult swim shows including:
Venture Brothers
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
The Boondocks
Robot Chicken

There are probably a few shows that slipped by me because Netflix is doing a very good job of hiding all their new shows today.  Let me know in the comments below if I missed any.

This deal is awesome news and a great day for any animation fan who has Netflix!

April Fools.

There will be no animation news today.  I'd like to say that's my April Fools joke but it's not, I just don't think anyone would take any news seriously today so you'll have to wait till tomorrow for animation stuff to resume.

New trailers for Turbo, Despicable Me 2, Epic, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2

The past few weeks have been great for trailers.  We've gotten new ones for four different movies put together for your viewing pleasure.

First up is Dreamworks' "Turbo" a movie about a snail who wants to race in the Indy 500:

Next up is Illumination Entertainment's "Despicable Me 2" a film that's been teased for awhile now but until this trailer we knew almost nothing about.

Next up is Blue Sky's "Epic" which keeps looking better and better the more of it I see!

And finally we have Sony Pictures Animation's "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2", a film that I have not been looking forward to but was surprisingly entertained by the trailer.

3 New Disney Blu-rays Announced

     Disney has announced that three new Blu-Rays will be coming out June 11th.  They are “Atlantis: The Lost Empire”, “Lilo an Stitch”, and “The Emperor’s New Groove”.  Each film will come in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and include the sequel movie for each franchise.  This means “The Emperor’s New Groove” comes with the lesser known sequel “Kronk’s New Groove”, “Atlantis” will come with “Milo’s Return”, and “Lilo and Stitch” will have "Stitch Has a Glitch”.

     I for one am excited for “Emperor’s New Groove”.  I’m also interested to find out if Disney will release “Stitch: The Movie” and “Leroy and Stitch” on Blu-ray since no note of them has been made.  Honestly I was surprised when Lilo and Stitch was included in this list because Disney doesn’t seem to be spacing out their fan-favorite movies as much as they should.  The Disney films left to be released on Blu-Ray are:

Saludos Amigos

The Three Caballeros

Make Mine Music

Fun and Fancy Free

Melody Time

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.  

One Hundred and One Dalmations

The Jungle Book (TBA 2014)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Spring 2013)

The Sword in the Stone

Robin Hood

Oliver and Company

The Little Mermaid (Fall 2013)

Aladdin

Hercules

Tarzan

     With only a few huge releases left, Disney seems to be relying on bundling the sequels with the original releases as an enticement to potential buyers.  It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out and what they do when the run out of IPs to re-release.

5 Great Animated Series You Can Watch On Netflix

     Netflix really is a great service (no they’re not paying me).  One of the things it’s best at is compiling every episode of great TV shows for your convenience.  Below is a list of five terrific animated shows Netflix has for your viewing entertainment:

     #5: Shaun the Sheep:

     In 2007 Aardman animation, the studio responsible for claymated classics Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit, created a series of seven minute mini episodes about a sheep name Shaun.  Shaun, who had previously appeared in the Wallace and Gromit short film, “A Close Shave” is a lovable little sheep who constantly gets into trouble with a local farmer.  It features no dialogue but is consistently hilarious and a must for fans of any of Aardman’s previous offerings.

Great Episodes to Start With:

Pretty much any of them.

     #4: Hey Arnold!:

     No channel was more lively in the 90s than Nickelodeon.  Not only did it boast the likes of Rugrats and Ren and Stimpy, it also featured a little show about the adventures of everyone's favorite football-headed kid.  Hey Arnold proved that kid shows could be smart while still having good morals and stories.  It touched on some deeper issues for a children's program but did so in a tasteful way and it's one of those animated shows that still holds up after all these years:

Great Episodes to Start With:
Stoop Kid
What's Opera Arnold
Das Subway

     #3: Arthur:

     Oh Arthur, what can I say?  You’ve given me years of quality entertainment with your lovable characters and surprising parodies.  While guised as a typical kids show, Marc Brown’s Arthur provides a lot of references and jokes for adults as well from references to films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and episodes parodying the animation style of the likes of South Park and Dexter’s Laboratory.  The first 6-7 seasons are an enjoyable blast of nostalgia.   Newer seasons lose their luster and are a little too politically correct.  Still, for old fans and new fans alike Arthur is a great show with a lot to offer:

Great Episodes to start with:

The Contest

Binky Rules

Arthur Rides the Bandwagon

That’s a Baby Show!

#2: Phineas and Ferb:

     Back in the 90s Disney was one of the hubs of animation, not just in the movies but also on TV.  Sadly, the last ten years haven’t been too good on Disney Channel’s animated shows.  Luckily, Phineas and Ferb has been turning that all around since it began in 2007.  The show centers on half brothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher as they find the best ways to spend their summer vacation (which usually involves inventing some crazy contraptions) and their older sister Candace who is constantly trying to “bust" them.  Also included is their pet platypus Perry who is actually a secret agent who battles a local super-villain-in-training named Heinz Doofensmirtz over control of the Tri-State Area.  It’s wacky, fresh, and smart.  Some complain this show is too formulaic but I think they constantly find fresh ways to reinvent themselves which is why Phineas and Ferb rests at #2 on my list.

Great episodes to start with:

Rollercoaster

It’s About Time

She’s the Mayor

#1: Avatar: The Last Airbender:

     If there’s one show that has reinvented animated kids shows in the past fifteen years, it’s “The Last Airbender”.  Not only does it perfectly blend comedy and action that can be enjoyed by all ages, it tells a great story or a young boy’s journey to free the land from oppression.  It starts a little slow at first but those who stick with it will find themselves treated to one of the best animated series in years.

Great episodes to start with:

Start at the beginning.  It’s a sequential show and is best watched in order.

Oscar Nominated Short Films

Y’all are in for a treat.  Yesterday, I talked about the animated films and shorts nominated for the academy awards at the Oscars.  Today, I’ve compiled links of all the nominated animated short films for your viewing pleasure.

Fresh Guacamole:

     This is by far the shortest of the nominees but it has an intrinsic charm to it.  There are a lot of visual puns and it is animated really well.

Adam and Dog:

     Adam and Dog is a captivating short exploring the themes of friendship and trust.  Without spoiling anything, be sure to watch this one to the end.

Head Over Heels:

     Head Over Heels explores the interesting relationship of a husband and wife who live together, one on the ceiling, and one on the floor.  It’s a charming short that is sure to tug on your heartstrings.

Maggie Simpson in: The Longest Daycare:

     In this Simpsons short, Maggie is left at daycare where she must protect a butterfly from an evil baby who likes to kill them with a hammer.  There is no spoken word in this short but I found it surprisingly enjoyable, despite being only a very casual Simpsons fan.

And finally... Paperman!

     If there’s a single short you need to watch this year, Paperman is the one.  Not only does it pioneer a brand new form of animation that seamlessly blends 2-D and 3-D, Paperman also has a touching story and a great presentation.  I remember going to Wreck It Ralph and seeing this before it started.  By the end of the short I had decided that even if Wreck It Ralph was bad (which it wasn’t) I would’ve been satisfied by Paperman’s offering.  It’s a gem, be sure to enjoy it.

I hope y'all enjoy these shorts as much as I did!

The Oscars

I may be a few weeks late to the scene but Oscar season has come and gone yet again.  For me there are only a few categories of note:

Best Picture

Best Animated Short Film

Best Animated Film

This year, best picture didn’t interest me much.  I was ecstatic that the wonderfully charming “Paperman” won Best Animated Short and not surprised that “Brave” won Best Animated Film.  It seems like every year they’re nominated, Pixar always comes out on top and while Brave was certainly a good movie and definitely worthy of joining the likes of The Incredibles and Spirited Away, I though it lacked the originality of some of this years greats such as Wreck-It Ralph and Pirates: Band of Misfits.  

Out of the five animated films nominated for Best Animated Picture the only one I didn’t see was Frankenweenie.  From what I've heard and seen from trailers it's a dark movie about a boy who tries to bring his dog Sparky back from the dead with science.  It looks like it's full of Tim Burton's unique style and I look forward to seeing it eventually.  

Brave was great and I believe it will be remembered for years to come.  For those of you who haven't seen it yet (and shame on you) Brave follows Merida and her quest to change her fate.  It was a fantastic film with beautiful animation and a lot of heart, exactly what we've grown to expect from Pixar.  It truly deserved to win best animated feature.  

LAIKA's Paranorman was a great film whose dark nature was a great reminder that animation doesn’t have to be just for kids.  I loved watching the weird and creepy adventure of Norman, a normal kid who can talk to ghosts.  It had a lot of strangely funny parts, combined with some actual scares and a really fresh animation style.  

Pirates: Band of Misfits was hilarious and provided that British humor that only the folks at Aardman seem to be able to bring to animation.  Watching The Pirate Captain (yes that is his actual name) and his lovable crew fight Queen Victoria and her militia was very entertaining.  

And of course, Wreck-It Ralph.  Ralph was in my mind the most original animated movie this year, possibly in the past decade.  It follows retro video game villain Wreck-It-Ralph as he tries to prove that bad guys can be good too.  It was one of my favorite movies of the year and a must see for any animation or video game fan!

Overall, it was a great year for animation and I highly recommend everyone the least bit interested to watch all these movies!

This was an excellent year for shorts as well.  Fresh Guacamole was strangely mesmerizing, The Longest Daycare was surprisingly entertaining, Head Over Heels was charming and unique, Adam and Dog was a unique look at a classic story, and of course Paperman was excellent!  They were all worth seeing but Paperman stole the show for me.  It was truly charming while adding a unique visual style and presentation.  I was very impressed this year!   But more on those tomorrow...

3 New Cars Toons

Disney has posted three new Cars shorts on its website.  These are shorter than the previous Mater's Tall Tales but still very entertaining.  I feel the Cars universe works very well as shorts, lets hope they continue making them.

The shorts, "Hiccup", "Spinning", and "Bugged",  are available on Disney's website.  Check them out!

"Hiccup"

"Spinning"

"Bugged"

What's this?

So I bet you're probably thinking, "what is this blog about?"  "Who's this Chris guy and why should I care?"  Well I'll tell you who this Chris guy is and why you should care.

In any class or job you take they always start the day off with introductions.  So here goes.  Hi.  My name is Chris.  I'm a college student studying art.  What does this have to do with animation?  Well in all honesty, nothing.  I am not an animator nor do I have any real desire to be one.  What I do have is a passion for animation, a passion I've decided to share with the rest of the world in hopes of finding other, like minded people.  I decided to start this blog because I have never found a single go-to place for reliable movies reviews, tips on underrated films and shorts, and news all in one place.  I hope to try all of that and maybe even succeed at a few of them.

Over the next week I'll be updating this blog with movie reviews, animation news, fun and interesting videos, and entertaining lists.  I hope these will be helpful to other animation fans out there who share my same interests.  So anyways, here goes nothing...