I had almost nothing to do today so I thought I'd watch a few movies back-to-back.
Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki (Wolf Children)
I have now seen this movie four times in the last couple of weeks, the most recent being earlier this afternoon, and I love this movie so very much. It is every bit as good as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and then some. The story is heartfelt, filled with emotion and the characters themselves are so grounded in reality, despite them having the ability to transform into wolves. The theme of being human is also very prevalent in this movie and it is balanced really nicely in the way it's presented to the audience. However, I wish the movie had taken a little bit more time with the epilogue style ending after the main conflict was resolved.
The animation itself is very smooth and the visuals are striking. The art style that was chosen for the characters also helps add to the uniqueness of this movie.
The soundtrack is beautifully composed and I love the main theme song--おかあさんの歌 by アン・サリー (Mother's Song by Ann Sally)--which perfectly encapsulates the entire theme of the movie in song. (duh)
Overall, this movie has quickly climbed into my top 20 list and gets a near perfect 9/10.
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is one of my favourite Disney characters. I remember first seeing this movie back when I was in preschool and my parents bought me the VHS release for my birthday. Ever since then, I have loved this movie and all these years later, it hasn't lost its charm.
Julie Andrews is practically perfect in every way as Mary Poppins. I love her voice when she sings and the curt attitude with which she portrays Mary. Dick Van ****, who plays Bert, is the perfect, whimsical counterpart to balance out Mary Poppins' strictness.
The story itself is rather simple and yet, is still one that holds relevance today, such as the relationship that a child has with their parents.
This movie is also a musical and musicals happen to be one of my favourite genres. The soundtrack to Mary Poppins is quite catchy and some of the songs, such as "Feed The Birds" (my personal favourite), carry a slightly darker tone in lyric and melody.
Admittedly the special effects are now rather dated, but this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of this movie as a whole, which I rate a very respectable 8/10.
Saving Mr. Banks
As the world now knows, I am a huge fan of Mary Poppins, so a movie that highlights not only the process of developing the movie, but showing the origins of some of the key scenes in Mary Poppins is something that I was extremely excited to see.
Emma Thompson was brilliant as P.L. Travers, the author of the novels that the film was based on. With a combination of flashbacks and scenes set in the present, I found that this movie was able to seamlessly transition between the past and present without leaving me feeling confused or lost with either plot.
There's not much else that I think can be said about this biopic, but I did enjoy it. I don't think this is one of those movies with that 'rewatchabilty' factor unlike Finding Neverland, for example.
Overall, I did enjoy this movie and think that anyone who's a fan of Mary Poppins should check it out. I give this movie a 7.5/10
Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki (Wolf Children)
I have now seen this movie four times in the last couple of weeks, the most recent being earlier this afternoon, and I love this movie so very much. It is every bit as good as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and then some. The story is heartfelt, filled with emotion and the characters themselves are so grounded in reality, despite them having the ability to transform into wolves. The theme of being human is also very prevalent in this movie and it is balanced really nicely in the way it's presented to the audience. However, I wish the movie had taken a little bit more time with the epilogue style ending after the main conflict was resolved.
The animation itself is very smooth and the visuals are striking. The art style that was chosen for the characters also helps add to the uniqueness of this movie.
The soundtrack is beautifully composed and I love the main theme song--おかあさんの歌 by アン・サリー (Mother's Song by Ann Sally)--which perfectly encapsulates the entire theme of the movie in song. (duh)
Overall, this movie has quickly climbed into my top 20 list and gets a near perfect 9/10.
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is one of my favourite Disney characters. I remember first seeing this movie back when I was in preschool and my parents bought me the VHS release for my birthday. Ever since then, I have loved this movie and all these years later, it hasn't lost its charm.
Julie Andrews is practically perfect in every way as Mary Poppins. I love her voice when she sings and the curt attitude with which she portrays Mary. Dick Van ****, who plays Bert, is the perfect, whimsical counterpart to balance out Mary Poppins' strictness.
The story itself is rather simple and yet, is still one that holds relevance today, such as the relationship that a child has with their parents.
This movie is also a musical and musicals happen to be one of my favourite genres. The soundtrack to Mary Poppins is quite catchy and some of the songs, such as "Feed The Birds" (my personal favourite), carry a slightly darker tone in lyric and melody.
Admittedly the special effects are now rather dated, but this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of this movie as a whole, which I rate a very respectable 8/10.
Saving Mr. Banks
As the world now knows, I am a huge fan of Mary Poppins, so a movie that highlights not only the process of developing the movie, but showing the origins of some of the key scenes in Mary Poppins is something that I was extremely excited to see.
Emma Thompson was brilliant as P.L. Travers, the author of the novels that the film was based on. With a combination of flashbacks and scenes set in the present, I found that this movie was able to seamlessly transition between the past and present without leaving me feeling confused or lost with either plot.
There's not much else that I think can be said about this biopic, but I did enjoy it. I don't think this is one of those movies with that 'rewatchabilty' factor unlike Finding Neverland, for example.
Overall, I did enjoy this movie and think that anyone who's a fan of Mary Poppins should check it out. I give this movie a 7.5/10