movie list: Minions (animation 2015)

Yesterday (to clarify, July 21 21015) my mother wanted to spend her morning with a free movie in our local cinemas. Here in the Philippines, there are thousands (not really, but it sounds like it) of political rackets for every area and their method of treatment for the Senior Citizens. One of which is to give one or two days of free movies for them to view. Whatever movie in the cinemas the old 'uns want they're free for the whole day, just as long as they present their movie pass.

Well to cut the morning story short, I ended up treating my mother and we both watched Minions. Those yellow gibberish talking walking pills.

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As everyone knows, or maybe some of, the Minions originated from the movie Despicable Me (starring Steve Carell as Gru, yes I need to state this, BECAUSE!). These seemingly "cute" pill shaped creatures are the "evil" minions of the "evil-villain" named Gru, and according to the story has been with him since he can remember (or maybe I missed the part where he explained how he got to have them?). On a side note, the movie DM is a commercial success majority of the reason is because of the Minions, is what I'm assuming, according to what I can sniff around marketing and media exploits.

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I did not know this happened. Where was I when this happened!!
He looks like Penguin from the Batman series...

Its quite a nice move to make a movie that explains the origins of the Minions, although I'm fairly satisfied just assuming that they were accidents made by Gru's scientist assistant. Discovering though that they were undoubtably natural causes (spoiler) from our own world (or their world) kind of makes you think how come they never really got to evolve. They were born the same way as anyone, through scientific explanations of course, and eventually watched the world evolve while they abruptly stopped evolving (physically that is, mentally a wee bit).

They were explained as creatures that sought the evilest being and make this evil being their "boss". The "boss" that they dreamed of following, (spoiler) which was actually shown from their conception through the eras I could not possibly know which (I'm not well versed with my sciences and histories). I could say they are affectionate towards the stronger, the one who can in any manner conquer by any means possible for psychological reasons maybe.

So goes the flow of the story till the moment they met Gru, (spoiler) kid Gru making a cameo by the end of the movie. Big things happened in the events before they met Gru, but I could tell that the simpleton plot of the movie would actually attract kids. Kids aged 8 below, or possibly lesser than 5. The story is so simple, the execution and scenarios completely random that you might say you paid to watch a Tom and Jerry show for 1 hour and a few minutes (not that Tom and Jerry doesn't deserve to have their movies be shown in cinemas and paid the same amount).

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Just, as a simple person (ah yeah, simple, ah...hahaha), of course I was quite amused by all their antics and gibberish. Before I did watch the movie I've heard that the movie had negative reviews, guessing it would. The story seems so random and everywhere. Villain with a shallow purpose, and for some reason it felt like the Minions became icons of heroes even though its much better to just retain their "dumb" like stand as a character.

To a child's point of view its a good satisfying movie, simply amusing and childishly entertaining. But as an adult who seems to have acquired a critic self, my simple self says its amusing and considerable, critic however says its not worth to watch if your aim is to see the retention of the Minions character from the DM franchise.

movie list: Strange Magic (Animated Movie 2015)

I've been excited to see a funny looking movie since I saw its trailer in the start of this year. The title, Strange Magic. Honestly I didn't even try to anticipate it in the local theatres, however I did want to see it be locally shown. But it seems like fate had a different plan for the movie. According to what I saw it didn't receive that positive of a reaction from the masses. Kind of did not expect that at first, but since I wanted to watch it despite the negative stuff I hear about it, I sought out a copy of it.

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Summary, no spoilers, trust me. It's a story about a kingdom of Fairies and Goblins. Where the idea of a love potion is forbidden. Eventually some rules got broken and all hell broke loose. Someone became a hostage, three people tries to save her. Two actually feels responsible and sensible and heart wrenched for their mission, one just likes to be macho about it. Alot of lame puns and singing in the most weird mashup, but nice ring in it, ever.

Wait, I just felt like I said a lot of spoilers than I intended to keep? Totally do not trust me when I say "NO SPOILERS". Ever. In the near future.

Oh, well. It's not like its a big deal. Because eventually this movie has me going fifty-50. Fifty for being pun-ny and at some point cool in concept and art design, while the other 50 just made me cringe at several shallow concepts and loop holes in the story that I felt like I knew but forgot due to the pun-ny-ness.

Can't help it, I'm originally a shallow person. But it can't escape even the shallow me to notice a lot of potential gone down the drain if it was thought of well, in the story and the characters personality design I mean. Not piling it out is something bland that I shouldn't do, BUT, I'm going to do it.

I'm not gonna pin point every single what was wrong about in the movie, because I can't be a hypocrite by saying I did not enjoy the movie. I enjoyed it. All those pun intended moments, lame placed jokes that were obvious modern references of true to life societal personalities and the facts of life and what not. Plus the weird ship of the "villain" and "heroine".

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Yes, I ship the Bog king and Marriane romantically. They're very existence in the story is an actual (or physical) representation of the idealistic concept of falling in-love. Both experiencing heart aches in their own, in the story, for rushing in love. However I did not ship them due to that fact, because they're going to heal each others wounds, etcetera. Shipping them was what I did even before I got the chance to confirm it by watching the movie.

I shipped them because they had a perceived contrast slash similarity in personalities. I only had the trailer for reference but they felt both spunky and hardened warriors. They have the impression that they would stand firm in their perceived conviction and morale. Eventually they were both sappy heart broken beings, that needed a whole gallant battle just to realize they love each other. Of course my guess of their personalities was still there so it like it wasn't a lost cause for me guessing, and my shipping their romance.

In the end I wouldn't recommend this movie, wished it was premiered in February instead of January due to sappiness and again I have encountered a use of a whole concept of a universe wasted by a simple shallow story that told of romance in the most musical action-fantasy "packed" way.