Some people appear to be bored with the Shrek series; my French friends (who, like most French manage to combine intellectual arrogance with a passion for cartoons) reckon its losing its originality and not as funny as the others.
Well I loved Shrek 3. First of all, of course it is not original, that's why it's called Shrek 3, not Shrek. As for being funny, I think it's rather cool to have Shrek go through pre-baby blues, to see a medieval high school, to have Merlin as a cracked magician, to cross breed donkeys & dragons and to have a fairy tale equivalent of the Women's Institute. What I like about Shrek is that it is fast, either you get the joke or you don't, but there are no dragging explanations or sloppy emotional scenes. The story barrels ahead, up to you to work out the (excellent) jokes, get the many hidden references, or not.
I reckon the French don't "get" Shrek because Shrek is so obviously anglo-saxon. While some references are international - Cinderella, Merlin and Puss in Boots to name just three- others are either English nursery rhymes (I've never heard a French equivalent of Three blind mice), or based on Anglo culture (this is particularly true of the high school scenes with its ghastly camaraderie and bullying). I reckon about half of the jokes in Shrek are either culturally biased and/or based on an untranslatable play on words. This, I think explains why this Shrek (which I believe is funnier than the others), does not go down so well with the French fans. All hypothesis of course, but the same problem in reverse can be found in Anglophone versions of Asterix.
I loved Pirates of the Caribbean I, I thought it was rather cheeky to adapt a funfair ride to Hollywood, but Johnny Depp and a half decent storyline saved the day at the time. PoC II was baad, save for one scene where Depp makes a fool of himself. Other than that I have a memory of it managing to be both too long and have nothing happen in it. A bridge between I and III I remember thinking at the time.
Well PoC III is just rubbish. I don't think I smiled at all, except maybe when Keith Richards appeared, holding a shrunken head: Jack Sparrow's mum & dad. But nearly three hours for what? Very impressive fights with amazing special effects, though it was never clear who was fighting who, and why. In fact, I was relieved when I came out of the cinema to hear someone say: "J'ai rien compris". Neither did I. Far too many plots that don't lead anywhere: Calypso, Squidman, the end of the World. The very scene the movie is named after is over 45 minutes into this very very long film, nearly three hours is just too long. Keira & Orlando need slapping, their wedding scene is the corniest thing I have ever seen. The Singaporians are caricatures and do nothing of interest; the Pirate brethren, interesting concept, is over quickly without any development. Too much bang, not enough story, terrible acting from about 2/3rds, too long....
All in all, absolutely shit. To think they're threatening us with others....
Finally, I also saw Ocean's 13 this week which, like the two previous, I loved, and even more than usual. First of all, there is a slight twist on the usual plot, as this is a revenge mission directed at a very slimy Al Pacino. Second, in takes place in Las Vegas, and is full of subtle filters, angle shots and god knows what other filming techniques that give it an colourful ambience. Soderbergh is a great director, and I especially like his editing techniques which make every scene perfectly timed and nicely strung together. The story is pretty basic: making a casino go bust on its opening night, but the subtle, darkish humour, the good acting, the weirdness of the caracters, the fact that it doesn't take itself seriously makes it original and great. I also love the fact that this is an action movie that doesn't rely on a token girl model to make it interesting. The only two women in it are the receptionist (who is an accomplice) and a buxom blond businesswoman who gets hoodwinked by Matt Damon. Neither make you want to go anorexic any more than they make you want to work for Al Pacino. Of course, there is also the presence of George, Brad and Damon (parmi d'autres) who make it just great! Brad in a white raw silk suit, George's eyes and even Matt, not my usual style, is sweet because his caracter is touching (that horribe nose!). As action movies go, the fact that Ocean's 13 has no token romance, is beautifully edited, is funny (a bit like Die Hard I guess, but classier) places it among my favorites.
Well I loved Shrek 3. First of all, of course it is not original, that's why it's called Shrek 3, not Shrek. As for being funny, I think it's rather cool to have Shrek go through pre-baby blues, to see a medieval high school, to have Merlin as a cracked magician, to cross breed donkeys & dragons and to have a fairy tale equivalent of the Women's Institute. What I like about Shrek is that it is fast, either you get the joke or you don't, but there are no dragging explanations or sloppy emotional scenes. The story barrels ahead, up to you to work out the (excellent) jokes, get the many hidden references, or not.
I reckon the French don't "get" Shrek because Shrek is so obviously anglo-saxon. While some references are international - Cinderella, Merlin and Puss in Boots to name just three- others are either English nursery rhymes (I've never heard a French equivalent of Three blind mice), or based on Anglo culture (this is particularly true of the high school scenes with its ghastly camaraderie and bullying). I reckon about half of the jokes in Shrek are either culturally biased and/or based on an untranslatable play on words. This, I think explains why this Shrek (which I believe is funnier than the others), does not go down so well with the French fans. All hypothesis of course, but the same problem in reverse can be found in Anglophone versions of Asterix.
I loved Pirates of the Caribbean I, I thought it was rather cheeky to adapt a funfair ride to Hollywood, but Johnny Depp and a half decent storyline saved the day at the time. PoC II was baad, save for one scene where Depp makes a fool of himself. Other than that I have a memory of it managing to be both too long and have nothing happen in it. A bridge between I and III I remember thinking at the time.
Well PoC III is just rubbish. I don't think I smiled at all, except maybe when Keith Richards appeared, holding a shrunken head: Jack Sparrow's mum & dad. But nearly three hours for what? Very impressive fights with amazing special effects, though it was never clear who was fighting who, and why. In fact, I was relieved when I came out of the cinema to hear someone say: "J'ai rien compris". Neither did I. Far too many plots that don't lead anywhere: Calypso, Squidman, the end of the World. The very scene the movie is named after is over 45 minutes into this very very long film, nearly three hours is just too long. Keira & Orlando need slapping, their wedding scene is the corniest thing I have ever seen. The Singaporians are caricatures and do nothing of interest; the Pirate brethren, interesting concept, is over quickly without any development. Too much bang, not enough story, terrible acting from about 2/3rds, too long....
All in all, absolutely shit. To think they're threatening us with others....
Finally, I also saw Ocean's 13 this week which, like the two previous, I loved, and even more than usual. First of all, there is a slight twist on the usual plot, as this is a revenge mission directed at a very slimy Al Pacino. Second, in takes place in Las Vegas, and is full of subtle filters, angle shots and god knows what other filming techniques that give it an colourful ambience. Soderbergh is a great director, and I especially like his editing techniques which make every scene perfectly timed and nicely strung together. The story is pretty basic: making a casino go bust on its opening night, but the subtle, darkish humour, the good acting, the weirdness of the caracters, the fact that it doesn't take itself seriously makes it original and great. I also love the fact that this is an action movie that doesn't rely on a token girl model to make it interesting. The only two women in it are the receptionist (who is an accomplice) and a buxom blond businesswoman who gets hoodwinked by Matt Damon. Neither make you want to go anorexic any more than they make you want to work for Al Pacino. Of course, there is also the presence of George, Brad and Damon (parmi d'autres) who make it just great! Brad in a white raw silk suit, George's eyes and even Matt, not my usual style, is sweet because his caracter is touching (that horribe nose!). As action movies go, the fact that Ocean's 13 has no token romance, is beautifully edited, is funny (a bit like Die Hard I guess, but classier) places it among my favorites.
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