Stop-Motion 'Pirates' Plunder in a Visually Stellar Playground

Aardman returns to theaters, but not with their signature team of Wallace and Gromit.

It was just a mere six years ago when pirates were seemingly relevant; plundering and pillaging amidst a revival of classic iterations of operatic swashbuckling fests. Granted since then, Disney’s staple franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean is nearing its end after a decade and interest in a good old-fashioned high seas adventure has waned in the past few years. Yet that hasn’t prevented Aardman Animations from staying faithful to what they do best – mashing groundbreaking stop-motion with quirky British humor and ultimately tying it all together with a hearty thematic tale of excitement and camaraderie. 

After spending several years unsuccessfully branching out into the realm of CG animation, Aardman finally returns to its roots with The Pirates! Band of Misfits. This adaptation, loosely based on the first two Gideon Defoe books, follows the voyages of the ambitious Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) and his loyal ragtag crew with one goal, taking home the Pirate of the Year Award, which will in turn earn the respect of their fellow sea raiders. It doesn’t make matters any better when a pirate-hating Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) and then-nobody Charles Darwin (David Tennant) complicate the situation.

Vibrant Visuals are No Match in Disguisng a Green 'Lorax'

The latest Dr. Seuss adaptation does very little to hide such an obvious environmental message.

Though the previous three theatrical adaptations of Dr. Seuss classics have lacked the ability to come close in doing justice to such beloved source material, there still remains something that resonates with audiences of all ages that only a new interpretation can offer. The Lorax is no exception, transforming Seuss’ downer of a modern fable, predominantly consumed with pitting industry against nature, into a brighter, bubbly, yet denser canvas that challenges audiences with a duality of entertainment and lecture. 

The Lorax bundles together a pair of closely tied narratives detailing the consequences of the industrial-driven Once-ler, who tore down a forest full of colorful cotton candy-like Truffula trees to manufacture a multi-purpose product, the Thneed. As a result, the citizens of Thneed-Ville have been subjected to decades of an isolated, plastic state where evil business rules their daily lives. But that doesn’t stop Ted (Zac Efron) from venturing beyond the constraints of Thneed-Ville to find out from the now recluse Once-Ler where he can find a living tree to impress the girl of his dreams.

'Man on a Ledge' Leaps From Absurdity to Intrigue

Sam Worthington must be thinking about the sequel to his 2010 remake Clash of the Titans.

Whatever happened to Sam Worthington? The star of 2009’s box-office smash, Avatar, was supposed be the “next big thing” in Hollywood, but since his journey to Pandora, what was a potentially bright future stalled minus one exception, the remake of Clash of the Titans. But even combating lackluster mythological beasts simply wasn’t adequate enough for Worthington to make a name for himself. Enter director Asger Leth who takes his first crack at directing besides a 2006 documentary with Man on a Ledge. 

Man on a Ledge distances Worthington from the conventional action role we’ve been accustomed to for the past several years, depending on a more serious role where he is nothing more than a diversion to a much larger picture. After a daring prison escape, ex-cop Nick Cassidy (Worthington) checks in at a hotel deep in the heart of Manhattan, only to momentarily step out onto the building’s ledge and threaten to jump to his death unless persuaded otherwise by police. The situation is nothing more than a ruse to gain the undivided attention of the New Yorkers below, while his brother and his brother’s girlfriend attempt to seek revenge on a businessman who framed him for the theft of a multi-million dollar diamond.

'Grey' Dominates as Gritty, Action Loaded Alpha

Jedi Master, Greek god, Gotham rogue - Liam Neeson always ends up with the most manly roles. 

The trailer for The Grey presented audiences with a captivating yet ambiguous account of Liam Neeson pitted against a pack of hungry wolves. But despite what appeared to be a straightforward premise; there always seemed to be something lurking in the background, a plot twist that we just couldn’t converge our attention on away from the overall theme of survival. Nothing of the sort exists and The Grey transcends that initial belief with a gritty metaphor about survival. 

The Grey trails the remaining members of an oil drilling team led by a take-charge hunter (Neeson), who survived a plane crash and trek across the remote Alaskan wilderness. Before these men can reach safety, they are pursued by a pack of territorial wolves and battle the brutality of life-threatening weather conditions. The Grey is directed by Joe Carnahan (Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane, Narc, The A-Team), who has a tendency to not hold back in any of his previous films and this is no exception to that rule.

Sensual 'Shame' Examines Sex Addiction in Artistic Fashion

Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is just an ordinary man, but obsessed with having sex.

If 2011 is remembered for anything, it’d be Michael Fassbender taking Hollywood by storm as not only the year’s biggest breakout star, but also the actor whose performance can enhance the overall aura of any film. Since Jane Eyre, Fassbender has transcended the role of the Byronic hero with magnetic villainy and psychological bluntness, but none of the stellar performances is as intimate as his role as a sex addict in Shame. 

Shame is Steve McQueen’s sophomore film, the first being 2008’s Hunger also starring Fassbender, and ultimately examines how an individual, particularly Fassbender handles being broken down and craving sex no matter what the consequences are or with whom. Fassbender’s character, Brandon, not only has to battle his sexual addiction, but also support his troubled younger sister (Carey Mulligan), who is a dependent burden seeking to become a famous singer.

Fourth 'Underworld' is Abomination, Not 'Awakening'

After being frozen for over a decade, Selene's back and ready to finish what she started.  

Vampires and werewolves are still battling one another and believe it or not it’s not Twilight. Sorry to get your hopes up Team Edward and Team Jacob. In fact, that other vampire and werewolf franchise is back in what seems to be the recent trend of every third year in January.  

Underworld: Awakening reintroduces the former Death Dealer, leather-clad Selene (Kate Beckinsale), who has been cryogenically frozen for the past twelve years since the events of “The Purge.” Selene finds herself in a world quite differently than one she remembers, most particularly one where an enigmatic hybrid could turn the tide in the ageless battle between vampires and lycans. Despite some chronological shifts in Rise of the Lycans, Awakening remains the fourth film in the series.

'Artist' Triumphs as Tribute to the Silent Film Era

Michel Hazavanicius' The Artist transports audiences back in time to a more simplistic era.

Calling a film such as The Artist, a diamond in the rough may seem on the verge of cliché, but in truth, in the midst of all the countless sequels made for the simple pleasure of making more money and the hapless romances spewing straight from Hollywood’s churning mill, audiences are in desperate need of a reminder of the early days of the industry. Before the time of 3D, a time before breakthrough special effects and even a time before color, films were silent, shot in black-and-white. Audiences hardly have an appreciation for a style they consider archaic that it’s almost a shame that The Artist will not appeal to a universal audiences. 

However for us cinemaphiles, a film like The Artist comes along on the rarest of occasions. The film follows film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), who has reigned supreme over the silent era, only to find the times are quickly changing as the medium is quickly moving to talkies. Valentin forms an on-and-off relationship with up and comer, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), who breaks out onto the talkie scene after he insists that the studio use her in upcoming pictures.