Sunday, October 15, 2006
Barnyard: Better Than I Expected
Took Phil out to the cheap theaters this afternoon. After a few months of little to nothing for kids, all the summer toons have landed there. Cars and Over the Hedge we saw first run, leaving Barnyard and The Ant Bully as possibilities. I wasn't really looking forward to either, so I threw in Superman Returns as a third-way choice.
He went with Barnyard.
From the ads, I was expecting the typical authoritarian father/screw-up son film, sort of like The Great Santini on Bovine Growth Hormone. Then the dad died and it turned into The Lion King with udders.
Actually, it wasn't that bad (they passed on the one scene they could've had the dad come back as the advice-dispensing face in the moon). Predictible plot, sure; some of the best lines (boy tipping!) spoiled by the trailers, yeah -- but there were still a few surprises both in plot and dialogue.
I've been working with Phil on recognizing that cartoon characters often have the voices of real-life actors (hey, that cat in Shrek 2 is the dad from Spy Kids). Phil recognized that the voice of Pip the Mouse was the same as Sheen's on Jimmy Neutron (Sheen, I fear, is "real" to Phil ... oh dear).
Final verdict? Could've used more cowbell, but otherwise a pretty good film.
He went with Barnyard.
From the ads, I was expecting the typical authoritarian father/screw-up son film, sort of like The Great Santini on Bovine Growth Hormone. Then the dad died and it turned into The Lion King with udders.
Actually, it wasn't that bad (they passed on the one scene they could've had the dad come back as the advice-dispensing face in the moon). Predictible plot, sure; some of the best lines (boy tipping!) spoiled by the trailers, yeah -- but there were still a few surprises both in plot and dialogue.
I've been working with Phil on recognizing that cartoon characters often have the voices of real-life actors (hey, that cat in Shrek 2 is the dad from Spy Kids). Phil recognized that the voice of Pip the Mouse was the same as Sheen's on Jimmy Neutron (Sheen, I fear, is "real" to Phil ... oh dear).
Final verdict? Could've used more cowbell, but otherwise a pretty good film.
Labels: Movies
Mikesell
