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stop-motion animation

The Lego Movie Has Laughs For All Ages-Celebrate at Legoland Florida

5 February 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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After seeing several commercials for The Lego Movie in our house, my kids were pretty excited to see it. I thought it was a joke at first; some independent filmmaker deciding to have some fun with Lego. The characters seemed to be poking fun at their own personas and even Lego-building itself. Surely this couldn’t be an official thing, I thought. But I was wrong. It was official and after seeing the film at a screening last Saturday, thanks to Legoland Florida, I have to applaud all involved. Following local theme parks and entertainment like I do, it is very rare to see huge corporations have a sense of humor about their own reputation. The Lego Movie was a refreshing and human take on the cult and culture of Lego-building, covering everything from following the included instructions to the way Lego figures move, to the crossing of Lego themed sets from one ‘universe’ to another. I wont give away all of the ending, but it was definitely a surprise, and made me get a little emotional about the act of play itself, using imagination, and the bonds between parent and child.

President Business
President Business

As far as kids go, they will love the movie just because of the cool Lego action – things being built, Legos they’ve known and loved actually moving and talking, and that absolutely everything is made out of Lego bricks. Filmed using a combination of stop-motion animation and computer animation, filmmakers took great lengths to make sure the animated parts looked like real Lego figures and bricks. The use of water, smoke and bubbles as well as other special effects make you laugh with the realization that yes, that’s what Legos would look like in that situation.

The Lego Movie Uni-KittyParents and adults can relate to all the old-school Lego references, the relationship humor and the personalities we get to know in the movie. Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) is pretty full of himself, as both a superhero and a boyfriend, while Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) plays the stereotypical bad guy perfectly. And surely we all know someone like Uni-Kitty (voiced by Alison Brie), from Cloud Cuckoo Land, the capital of rainbows and puppies – spouting positivity and happiness at every turn while avoiding reality until their pent up emotions and anger within eventually explode…or is that exclusive to the Disney community? Regardless, the characters and jokes are hilarious and they did not skimp on the voice actors, with greats like Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, and Elizabeth Banks on board.

I absolutely loved the opening scene, showcasing the “life of a Lego” or at least how “President Business” (voiced by Will Ferrell) deems life should be. Following instructions to a tee, this sequence will make you want to watch the movie again and again to catch new little references or jokes here and there. We follow Emmet, a construction worker who wants desperately to fit in and have friends, so he follows the instructions every day. When he happens to see Wyldstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks), his  ordinary life changes forever. He discovers President Business is actually Lord Business and he is seeking to destroy the planet with the ultimate weapon – the Kragle (super glue to you and me). Emmet stumbles upon the “piece of resistance” (the only way to stop the Kragle) and Wyldstyle takes him to Vitruvius, the somewhat kooky prophet (voiced by Morgan Freeman) as they attempt to save the world. Emmet finds himself in the process and the ending will have you wanting to run out and build an entire Lego world yourself. Definitely a must see (and see again!).

 

In coordination with the launch of the first-ever, full length theatrical LEGO® adventure, “The LEGO® MovieTM”, LEGOLAND® Florida celebrates with a movie-themed weekend in the park on Feb. 8 and 9. Guests can head to their local theatre to watch “The LEGO Movie,” opening nationwide on Friday, February 7, and then come to LEGOLAND Florida to see LEGO come to life amidst more than 50 rides, shows and attractions and special movie-themed fun all geared for families with children ages 2 to 12.

LEGOLANDFLORIDA-LEGOMOVIE-0001

“The LEGO Movie” Weekend at LEGOLAND Florida includes the following activities:

  • “The LEGO Movie” Scavenger Hunt – Miniland USA
    Movie characters Emmet, Wyldstyle, Lord Business and MetalBeard are lost in Miniland USA. Guests can help find them to save the day! Guests can submit an entry to win a LEGO Prize Pack at www.LEGOLAND.com. See website for official rules.
  • “The LEGO Movie” Video Game Challenge – Warner Bros. Games Zone 
    Gaming fans can test their skills and play the latest action-packed video game, “The LEGO Movie.”
  • Build Your Own World Competition – Imagination Zone
    Guests can use their imagination to build their own unique LEGO model. LEGOLAND Florida Master Model Builders will select a winner from each event day to receive a LEGO prize pack. Official rules will be available at the park.
  • “The LEGO Movie” Mural Build – Imagination Zone
    Families can build together and help create a giant LEGO poster of “The LEGO Movie.”
  • Character Meet & Greets – LEGO City
    Fans can walk the red carpet and meet two of the stars of “The LEGO Movie.” Emmet and Wyldstyle.

“The LEGO Movie” Weekend is included with park admission and guests will have complete access to a full day of theme park fun with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. The best way to experience LEGOLAND Florida is with the LEGOLAND Florida Resident Annual Pass as low as $99 each. Pass members receive unlimited admission for 12 months to LEGOLAND Florida and the LEGOLAND Water Park, as well as all other Merlin US attractions (LEGOLAND California & Water Park, LEGOLAND Discovery Centers, Sea Life Centers and Madam Tussauds), free parking and 10% off food and merchandise with no black-out dates. For the most current information on special events, daily operating hours and to purchase tickets, visit www.LEGOLAND.com.

LEGOLANDFLORIDA-LEGOMOVIE-0002

I’ll be at Legoland Florida this Sunday live-tweeting, instagramming and posting on Facebook so be sure to follow along! Thanks again to Legoland Florida for providing my family with tickets to see the movie, and tickets to their park this weekend. My opinions and thoughts are my own, as always!

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Filed Under: Central Florida Family Entertainment, Disney Movie News & Reviews, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, LEGOLAND Florida, Movie Reviews, Movies & Books, Reviews, Top Stories Tagged With: Alison Brie, Batman, Elizabeth Banks, Emmet, Lego movie, LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND Florida, Legoland Florida Lego Movie Weekend, Liam Neeson, Lord Business, Morgan Freeman, President Business, stop-motion animation, The Lego Movie, Uni-Kitty, Vitruvius, Will Arnett, will ferrell, Wyldstyle

Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie – A Fun Homage To Creepy Movies Past

6 October 2012 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

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FrankenweenieFans of Tim Burton will no doubt have seen or heard of the original incarnation of Frankenweenie, which was produced by Walt Disney Pictures in 1984 as a live action black and white short film. Burton was fired for making the film, for “wasting company resources.” Disney later saw the error of their ways and came to understand Burton’s creative genius. As a result, we now have such classics as The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, the live-action Alice in Wonderland and now a full-length stop-motion animation version of Frankenweenie.

For those who have not seen the original Frankenweenie from 1984, I urge you to take the time to watch. The new film, released on October 5, is a loving tribute and enhancement to Burton’s original concept, to the point of specific scenes, sets and lines being recreated. I just re-watched it myself in preparation for this review, after seeing the new film twice, and loved seeing little details such as the pet cemetery, rain on the window, and the first classroom scene, are almost identical in the original. The windmill, which acts as the iconic centerpiece for the town of New Holland in the full-length version comes from a miniature golf course in the original short. As a note, this review will discuss characters and plot points from the new film, so consider this a spoiler alert and proceed at your own risk.

Frankenweenie is, at its roots, an homage to the 1931 movie Frankenstein, based on Mary Shelley’s novel. The main character of Frankenweenie is Victor Frankenstein, the same as in the book. In the new movie, Victor’s neighbor is Mr. Burgermeister, a name which you may recognize from the pioneers of stop-motion, Rankin-Bass, and their Christmas special, Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Mr. Burgermeister not only shares the demeanor of his namesake but a bit of his look too. The Rankin-Bass Burgermeister was voiced by Paul Frees, who is of course famed among Disney fans as the voice of the “Ghost Host” in the Haunted Mansion, along with countless narrations for Disney attractions, including Disneyland’s beloved Adventure Thru Inner Space, now sadly closed. In the new movie, Burgermeister’s niece, Elsa Van Helsing, is a nod to another classic horror story: Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Mr. Burgermeister
Mr. Burgermeister

There are many other tributes to movies past, which may be open for interpretation depending on your cinematic knowledge. I felt like the Sea Monkeys we see take over the town were very reminiscent of the Gremlins in how they acted, and the scene where they attack a phone booth reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. These could just be coincidences of course. One more obvious point of reverence was toward Godzilla movies.  An ex-turtle named Shelley – a nod to Mary Shelley and Shelley Duval, who played Victor’s mom in the 1984 version, becomes a giant Gamera-sized turtle like we’ve seen Godzilla battle in the past. At one point, the monster turtle stomps in front of a cinema which has a marquee declaring Bambi is coming soon. I wasn’t the only one that thought of the classic animation short Bambi Meets Godzilla when seeing that on screen.

More than movie history appreciation, the general style and feel of the film is a wonderful collection of Burton’s artistic designs. The creatures, townsfolk, and main characters resemble past creations and drawings we’ve seen in concept art and the books he’s published. I could be wrong, but I swore I saw a Jack Skellington mask on my second viewing of the film, right after Nassor is knocked into a cart of souvenirs at the fair. Also, fans of the Amazing Stories series Family Dog episode will recognize the design of Sparky as being directly descended from that character. Burton assisted with character design and production of the Brad Bird story. So in that sense, the film is a wonderful little homage to Tim Burton himself.

Mr. Rzykruski
Mr. Rzykruski

The science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski is modeled after Vincent Price, well-known as Burton’s inspiration for much of his work. Voiced by Martin Landau, who played Bela Lugosi in Burton’s production of Ed Wood, he is part of the ‘family of voices’ we’ve now come to expect from Burton’s productions. Mr. Rzykruski is the voice of reason, exposing the children of the school to new ideas and urging them to reach their potential as human beings. His comments to the parents at a school meeting are an excellent commentary on life in America, where new ideas are sometimes treated as wrong and bad because of ignorance and unwillingness to see another way. The message is garbled a bit when Victor actually reanimates the corpse of his dead dog, but you know, artistic license and all that.

Now, did I actually like the film? Well, because I am a huge Burton fan, of both his art and his films, I loved Frankenweenie as a display of Burton’s creations and the art of stop-motion animation in general. I think the story lacked a little bit in character development. We never really know what the story is with Elsa, she seems to “like” Victor, but nothing really comes of it, and we don’t really know her background other than owning the dog which eventually becomes the “bride” to Sparky’s “Frankenstein.” Victor’s parents are another area where I wish we’d seen more development. In the original short film, Victor’s mom, as portrayed by Shelley Duval is a working mom who seems to have a more playful bond with Victor. In the current film, Victor’s mom seems only concerned with cleaning and romance novels and is pretty clueless as to the goings-on in her home.

I don’t fault the movie too much for this; the real story is that of Victor and Sparky, and truly, Sparky is the star of the show. Sparky’s dog mannerisms are perfectly executed in Frankenweenie, which must’ve been painstaking with the stop-motion figures. Honestly, it made me appreciate my own little dog more because Sparky was just so cute and watching his day-to-day routine was just adorable and spot-on. I also love the lesson that Victor learned about letting go of a loved one that leaves us. He grew as a person and was going be okay with Sparky resting in peace (of course then the grown-ups of the town had other ideas).

Sparky

All in all, despite the flaws in story, the movie as a whole was entertaining and a must-see for any Tim Burton fan or pet-owner with a sense of humor. As a warning, it is rated PG and there are a few spots that make you jump out of your seat, so be warned before bringing younger children. I made the decision not to bring my almost-4-year-old because of this. Most of the film is just funny and silly though and the use of 3D technology is excellent throughout.

With the amount of promotion in Disney Parks, on the Disney Channel, Frankenweenie merchandise (and a great soundtrack in the  Frankenweenie Unleashed! CD), I hope Frankenweenie is a grand success. If nothing else, it is a wonderful artistic display that is inspiring for any child that may be or look different or see the world in another way. Creativity and expression is always a positive lesson to expose any one to, young or old, and Frankenweenie does just that.

 

*Disclosure: some links may be affiliate links, which, if used to purchase products will give me back a few cents to support zannaland. Further disclosure: I was provided a complimentary screening of Frankenweenie for a guest and me for the purposes of this review. However, I went out and purchased tickets a few days later on my own, and my opinions were not affected. Thanks for reading.

 

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Filed Under: Disney Movie News & Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies & Books, Reviews Tagged With: Alice in Wonderland, burgermeister, catherine o'hara, Frankenweenie, frankenweenie review, frankenweenie tributes, james and the giant peach, martin landau, martin short, mary shelley, Nightmare Before Christmas, original frankenweenie short, rankin bass, santa claus is coming to town, shelley duval, stop-motion animation, Tim Burton, victor frankenstein, vincent prince, Walt Disney Pictures, winona ryder

Frankenweenie Comes to Theatres October 5 – Official Images

22 February 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Many years ago, I would attend the Spike & Mike animation festivals that would tour through Boston, with my sister and later, boyfriend (now husband). That’s how we first saw Beavis & Butthead, Wallace & Gromit, and a short called Tin Toy, from a little company named PIXAR. One of those films was Vincent, by Tim Burton. I instantly became a fan of Tim Burton’s style of animation, and have been one ever since. I remember seeing Frankenweenie somewhere over the years, but always wondered why it wasn’t created in stop-motion, which seems to work best with Burton’s fantastical mind.

FRANKENWEENIE Logo

Official description: “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.

Burton had originally wanted Frankenweenie to be a stop-motion film, but budget constraints forced him to produce it as a live-action film. The finished product was not appreciated by his then-employer, Disney, who fired him for wasting company resources on the project. Burton had supporters in Disney, however and they eventually worked together again to bring us Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and Alice in Wonderland. Budget is no longer an issue and Burton is set to release his stop-motion animated version of Frankenweenie in October of this year.

FRANKENWEENIE Tim Burton
Tim Burton studies a model of Sparky

Some fun facts:

  • Over 200 puppets and sets were created for the film.
  • The voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”), Catherine O’Hara (“Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”), Martin Short (“Mars Attacks!”) and Martin Landau (“Ed Wood,” Sleepy Hollow”).
  • Several of the character names—Victor, Elsa Van Helsing, Edgar “E” Gore and Mr. Burgemeister— were inspired by classic horror films.

The first official poster has now been released:

Frankenweenie one-sheet
Tim Burton's Frankenweenie - as he intended it

 

frankenweenie scene
A scene from the upcoming film
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Filed Under: Disney Movie News & Reviews, Movies & Books, Official Disney Tagged With: Disney, Don Hahn, Frankenweenie, Frankenweenie official poster, stop-motion animation, Tim Burton, Vincent

VIDEO: What Do Vinylmations Do When You’re Not There?

2 February 2011 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

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Vinylmation collectionThanks to a fellow Disney fan for introducing me to this video. Nice start for a great medium for Vinylmation figures – stop motion animation! Check out The Vinylmator:




What do you think YOUR Vinylmations do when you’re not around?

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Filed Under: Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney fan creations, Disney fan videos, stop-motion animation, The Vinylmator, vinylmation, Vinylmation video, Viylmation stop-motion video

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