DVDizzy Forum

gardener14 wrote:That's an awful lot of unfair conjecture. I find those who disliked CL are mostly made up of online Disney fans. I saw it twice in theatres, once opening weekend and once several weeks later, and the audience reaction both times was very positive.

I'm not being biased, though, because I actually liked Chicken Little (I didn't love it, but still find it to be a decent movie). Almost everyone I know, though, disliked the movie, and none of those people are Disney fanatics like myself. Heck, I actually recommended the film to them, and they all snapped at me after they saw it. Couple that with lukewarm ratings from both rottentomatoes and IMDb, and it's obvious most people either didn't like the film or found it bland. A so-so portion of viewers actually liked it (I being one of them), and an even smaller portion outright loved it. Had the film been better received, it would've done better financially, even though it still did well enough to be considered a modest hit.

I really enjoyed this film.

Bowler Hat Guy was a great villian. I have this wierd thing that I don't like villians to become good guys in the end. To me, it undercuts the entire movie. However, BHG was fantastic. He genuinely scared me throughout the first half of the movie. He was creepy!!

Tiny the T-Rex was adorable. I want a plush.

If there was anything I would want to rewrite, it would be the climax. Louis telling Doris that he won't invent her seemed very easy. It should have been harder, IMO.

And for those who are utterly opposed to a sequel, I am with you. But I could totally see Disney coming up with a TV series from this. It could focus on the futuristic Robinsons with Wilbur as the main character. Not saying it would be good, just saying that it has a pretty good premise.

OK, so we all agree that MTR's animation is wonderful. Then what is wrong with Chicken Little's animation? Of course, it is not bad, but people have said that it's not as good as it should have been.

I watched CL today, and though I like that certain softness that there is surrounding the image and the fluid animation, I (for the first time), noticed something that annoyed me with the character models. They looked like they had "hard" edges - like unrefined character models that you might come across in cheap CGI. This was mostly noticable when you get close-ups of their eyes, arms or legs. This is evident, for example, in the opening scene, when the fire-fighter in the fire-engine stops and shouts something like "Chicken Little, what's the matter!!?" Look at him closely. Doesn't he look strange to you?

Besides - the actual animation, though mostly fluid and pleasing, at times was rather akward, resulting in quick choppy movements. Whether this was intentional, or simply a slip of the animators I do not know.

Is it just me being fussy, or are my above observations justified?

It's a delightful movie! Got a clever story with neat twists in it. I digged the Bowler Hat Guy, Doris, the singing frogs, and Tiny the T-Rex.

If they don't make a Bowler Hat Guy action figure and people really want one, take a Purple Pie Man figure from the Strawberry Shortcake line and customize it.

just got back from seeing Meet the Robinsons with my Dad. Add another $12.50 to the box office weekend total. I'd say it was about 1/2 full @ the showing we went to. I caught on to who BHG was at a certain point. I also knew what would happen at the end of the movie because I had sneaked a peek at the movie storybook at walmart on Friday. That's what made me want to see the movie. It was a little sad, too. I sniffled a little seeing Lewis/Cornelius' mom leave him on the front step of the orphanage.


Great Movie for the whole family. A-


p.s. I was disappointed that they didn't show POTC3 trailer before the movie. I mean, sheesh, its out at the end of May.....you'd think they would have put the trailer w/ a Disney Movie.


p.p.s. The Mickey Cartoon before the movie was a nice treat. Hope they do that more often!

Take a look at what film critic James Berardinelli has to say on the way the characters are rendered in MTR:

There's plenty of detail in the futuristic backgrounds and foregrounds but the characters are blandly drawn, looking more like Weebles than people.

Does he have any idea what he's talking about?

Well, I just saw this one!!! I love it!! Great story with good morals and interesting plot!!! My kids loved it and were entertained by the movie!!! I give it an A+!!!!!

The trailers for MTR were scaring me quite a bit, but then the film ended up surpassing my expectations. All of the Robinsons had me a little bit confused; it would have been nice if more time had been spent getting to know some of the family members better. I had a hard time believing that the Robinsons had grown so attached to Lewis in what seemed like a short time to the audience (or at least to me). I LOVED Bowler Hat Guy; he goes right up there in my top 5 Disney/Pixar villains! Maybe even top 2!

I liked that they developed Lewis a little more than they had Chicken Little. The whole mother deal and his decision in you-know-what-part were nice additions to the movie. The music was okay, only I had wished it had been a little more subtle in some parts (the very beginning and a certain part when the sun sets in the movie come to mind) and less overpowering.

Overall, I award it a decent 7.5/10. It would have been better if they had made the Robinsons a little less bizarre. I know that they are SUPPOSED to be weird, but they were just too...quirky? The entire time Lewis was in their house, I was going "where the hell did that come from? Why is everything so random? Baking cookies? What?!" It was just distracting me way too much. There was so much going on.

Oh yeah, and I like the idea of playing animated shorts before the film (both old and new), but they should be a little bit funnier... Like someone else in this thread said, there wasn't a very strong audience reaction to the boat short that I saw. I'm sure the Chip & Dale one was better. I wouldn't know because I go to the movies with my dad and he can't see 3D movies due to him being blinded in one eye. But at least now I will have a chance to see TNMB4C with my mom or some friends in 3D this year! It's been almost 14 years since I've seen that movie in theaters.

Another thing! With my slight disappointment with Cars (although it was still a good movie) and the not-so-impressive teaser(ish) trailers for Ratatouille that I saw last year, I will say now that I am extreeeemely excited for this summer! The Ratatouille trailer shown before MTR looks AMAZING. Really. It looks very promising.

akhenaten wrote:i hope 'another believer' gets nominated for a best song oscar.

I actually liked that song. It's rare that I don't hate a mainstream song in a family movie (or any movie, really), especially ones that are played during the movie.

brownie wrote:It would have been better if they had made the Robinsons a little less bizarre. I know that they are SUPPOSED to be weird, but they were just too...quirky? The entire time Lewis was in their house, I was going "where the hell did that come from? Why is everything so random? Baking cookies? What?!" It was just distracting me way too much. There was so much going on.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who found the randomness of the central portion of the movie too much to take in. I think it bothered me more than most here for some reason. The middle was truly was a chaotic mess in my opinion, and calling it distracting is an understatement. I actually loved the films opening act, and later I loved the final act, but the middle left me dazed and confused.

As was suggested above, I will probably enjoy it more on a second viewing, but I think that's less than an ideal situation for the movie's sake. I'd prefer to want to see it again because I was wowed the first time rather than feel I have to see it again in hopes that it will grow on me. CL made me want to see it again because it all came together in a cohesive way...I related to the misfit characters, and the adventure, the music, and comedy all were in the right proportions. MTR made me love it at times, and I felt for Lewis, but for too long it made me long for calmness and orderliness during all the chaos.

brownie wrote:Oh yeah, and I like the idea of playing animated shorts before the film (both old and new), but they should be a little bit funnier... Like someone else in this thread said, there wasn't a very strong audience reaction to the boat short that I saw. I'm sure the Chip & Dale one was better.

I too hope Disney includes more new and old animated shorts with future movies. However, at the showing I attended, Boat Builders got a huge positive reaction from the audience with lots of laughter. After the movie, my brother even told me how impressed he was that the audience appreciated such an old cartoon.

Sky Syndrome wrote:It's a delightful movie! Got a clever story with neat twists in it. I digged the Bowler Hat Guy, Doris, the singing frogs, and Tiny the T-Rex.

If they don't make a Bowler Hat Guy action figure and people really want one, take a Purple Pie Man figure from the Strawberry Shortcake line and customize it.

OMG!!!! I thought the exact same thing. That Bowler Hat Guy looked like him. That is sooooooo funny. Yeah One of the best villians ever. I mean the binder and the secret headquarters were hilarious. Love the milk shake he drinks too. Just priceless. I am going for round two tomorrow. And maybe in Disney World in a few weeks just cause I'm there It's one of those Disney Movies you like just after you see it...and LOVE in the morning. (and yes I wanted the POTC3: at world's end trailer in there too but...what cha gonna do?) HATED the Shrek 3 preview in there. Made me grrrrrrrrr!

Disneykid wrote: Someone on this board (I forgot who) had seen the rough version and liked it very much even in that state, so perhaps he can pop in again and give us a comparison of both versions.

Your wish is my command. That's right, about 22 1/2 months ago I was able to see this movie as a storyboard type thing at Walt Disney Feature Animation (Or what ever it is called now). Back then, I was pretty new to forums in general and didn't really know how to give non-spoilerish reviews of movies (Like the one posted on this site for Meet the Robinsons), so I didn't really talk about it much. I'm still not so great at giving any type of review, but sometime later this week (Since I’m out of school right now) I'll try and do my best at giving a comparison of both versions of the movie. (Or at least what I remember of the older version) I’ll be willing to answer any questions that anyone has on anything that I don’t include in my comparison. (And there is bound to be A LOT that I leave out)

P.S. I saw the movie in theaters today and I loved it more than I did before.

I enjoyed the experience very much!

A few thoughts:

Boat Builders was great and VERY well received. This is my favorite version of these characters in look and personality and OBVIOUSLY they hold up well today. Kids were laughing right along with the adults.

The movie is better than the last 4 WDFA films and could have been awesome if they had better communicated quirkiness with the Robinsons rather than total insanity. I know its tough, but the movie was a tad too bizarre for most people. Interesting path to travel though and maybe a sign that WDA can work outside the box.

I don't want to spoil things for folks, but I felt that John Lassiter's touch was on the last 3rd of the film and it shows. If he had been able to help sooner, this would have been a true classic with a much tighter story.

All in all, great job WDA - lets see more of that please in 2d or cga. This movie could have worked just as well in a style akin to William Joyce's original illustrations in traditional animation.

Did not get to see the 3d version, yet, but I plan to go before the run is over.

Go see it if you have not. Its a good time at the movies!!

RR

I saw this on Friday with my best friend. I'm really glad the both of us got to watch a film that ended up being really good.

I'm not going to say what I liked about it because there is just so much I liked I don't want to leave anything out. But I will say this, any movie I walk out of and think "The DVD isn't out until another who knows when. *groan*" is a movie I really really liked. And MTR was a film where I thought that.

No need to worry about its box office numbers, word WILL get out.

Dang it, now I want genetically enhanced singing, jazz-playing frogs.

a list of theatres playing it in 3d would be nice.
I don't have any around here, but I will be going to disney world in may, so Im hoping to come across one when I go. is there a way to find out where in Florida it will be playing in 3d?

gardener14 wrote:

brownie wrote:It would have been better if they had made the Robinsons a little less bizarre. I know that they are SUPPOSED to be weird, but they were just too...quirky? The entire time Lewis was in their house, I was going "where the hell did that come from? Why is everything so random? Baking cookies? What?!" It was just distracting me way too much. There was so much going on.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who found the randomness of the central portion of the movie too much to take in. I think it bothered me more than most here for some reason. The middle was truly was a chaotic mess in my opinion, and calling it distracting is an understatement. I actually loved the films opening act, and later I loved the final act, but the middle left me dazed and confused.

I just wanted to reiterate that Disney stayed faithful to the book with the quirkyness and randomness of the plot surrounding the goings-on of the Robinsons characters. Have either of you read the original book? Throughout the majority of the book, you're thinking WTH?!? I must say that Disney did a great job capturing the feel of the book - but also tied it together nicely with a sweet plot and memorable ending.

So exactly how 3D is the 3D version? Cause if it's a Nightmare Before Christmas kinda thing, I'd rather just watch it normally...

kbehm29 wrote:I just wanted to reiterate that Disney stayed faithful to the book with the quirkyness and randomness of the plot surrounding the goings-on of the Robinsons characters. Have either of you read the original book? Throughout the majority of the book, you're thinking WTH?!? I must say that Disney did a great job capturing the feel of the book - but also tied it together nicely with a sweet plot and memorable ending.

Nope, I haven't read the book. I'm not saying that they shouldn't have been faithful to the book, but it would have been nicer if everything was less chaotic and messy (I know that's what most critics have been saying, but it's true). Quirkyness in movies can be funny sometimes, but in MTR's case, it wasn't done quite right.

I also did not read the book. I assumed the family was intended to be strange and bizarre in the original story, but the movie lost its believability for me in that regard. I'm all for random quirkiness and strange humor when it makes sense in a random, quirky, and strange way. MTR was just too chaotic and nonsensical at times for me. It was like being surrounded by a group argument or debate that has gotten out of control and lost all sense of meaning. It's just chaos and sensory overload, and it makes me want to tune out. That's how MTR felt to me in the middle.

I see that MTR made $25 million vs. Chicken Little's $40 million and Cars' $60 million for opening weekends. As much as I liked CL and Cars better, I'm surprised the numbers are so low for MTR. I think it had a lot to do with the marketing. That commercial featuring the caffeine patch and the dinosaur's tiny arms does not represent the heart of the movie at all, and that was the part that worked best. The commercials mostly represent the chaotic parts of the movie. Perhaps those who liked the commercials were motivated to see the movie, and those who were turned off by the commercials stayed home. That would explain the positive comments from those who saw it (they tollerated the chaos) and also the lower box office totals vs. CL and Cars (those who were turned off by the chaos in the previews). I saw it because it's a Disney animated movie, not because I liked the previews.

i just saw this movie for like the 4th time and loved it more and more..yes the robinson family took a while to get comfy with because theyre so shocking but ive learn to love them, not often do we have family members who r so carefree that it feels like thanksgiving everyday. i especially love uncle gaston and the choo choo train aunt. the fat uncle is the least working of all.

i brought a non cartoon watching friend to this movie. he laughed at boat builders and CRIED at the end of the movie. he also found the end quote to be inspiring to his life. he said " i never thought a cartoon could move me to tears".

im going again.. i dont care of what if lasseter had meddled with this earlier or what. i liked it for what it is...and there's no time machine for what ifs.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD to the cinemas and help robinsons deliver a healthy second weekend!

brownie wrote:

akhenaten wrote:i hope 'another believer' gets nominated for a best song oscar.

I actually liked that song. It's rare that I don't hate a mainstream song in a family movie (or any movie, really), especially ones that are played during the movie.

the reason im liking it more than the rob thomas song in the end is because it recalls the 60's kind of music that would appeal to all kinds of age and it is to me a new disney classic and its an ORIGINAL disney song (i hope im right on this) and shouldnt get old quickly.unlike other CG movies that uses famous songs that has been used in many other movies. and the whole disney animated feature not using original songs just devaluates it from a 'classic' status. lilo and stitch notwithstanding. the comparison is chicken little with songs by spice girls and whatnot.

the jazz song is great too but was played too short in the movie.

i wish i had a robinsons family. id know who to go shopping with.

and i hope this will be a classic like alice in wonderland.