Movie Review: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Loving look at a loving man

Cons: Seems the video could have been better at times; could have been better focused

The Bottom Line:

Mr. Rogers tribute

Wonderful document’ry

Nostalgia induced

Remembering the Best Neighbor

Like many, I grew up watching Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.  In fact, I watched it much longer than most probably did.  I usually blame my brother, who is seven years younger than I am, but let’s be honest – I still haven’t grown up, so I was very much enjoying watching the episodes.  With those fond memories in mind, I knew I had to see Won’t You Be My Neighbor? as soon as I heard about it.

This movie is a documentary about the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, best known to most of us as Mr. Rogers, the creator of that seminal children’s TV show.  Through archival video and interviews with family, friends, cast, and crew, we get a look at the man who created such a huge part of American culture.

This is not a hit piece – not even remotely.  If you are looking for any dirt there might be on the man, you’ll have to look elsewhere.  But I’m perfectly okay with that.  We don’t need to know any and all secrets about a person, not that I think there are any with Mr. Rogers.  Everyone interviewed for the movie says he was exactly how he came across on the show, a kind, caring man.

The movie fills us in a bit on the history surrounding the show starting and even some moments where the show or Mr. Rogers himself made history.  However, it isn’t exactly a biography.  It is almost more of a character study instead.  The film does follow a lose timeline of the show, but it also seems to jump from one subject to another.  Honestly, I wish it had been a bit more focused.

Watching the documentary as an adult made me appreciate the show in an entire new way.  The show is so anti-everything on TV, even back then.  The actors are able to take moments that would be cheesy and make them work in powerful ways.  The show teaches with little if any lecturing.  And the songs!  The songs came back to me in just a few notes, and I felt like I had seriously been missing them.

The picture quality is uneven.  Naturally, that is to be expected with the age of some of the video they have for us, but I felt like some of it was done that way on purpose.  I wish they would have cleaned up what they could and left the archival footage grainy as it has become over the years.

I was a bit surprised to see a documentary on Mr. Rogers earning a PG-13 rating.  They come from a couple of stories one crew member told.  Again, don’t worry, they don’t reflect poorly on Mr. Rogers.  In fact, they show a fun sense of humor.  I’m torn because I did like them, but it seems like, given the subject, they could have been left out.  Then again, this probably isn’t a movie kids would enjoy anyway, so I’m most likely overthinking this.

Be prepared for a heavy dose of nostalgia as you watch.  I spent the afternoon after watching the movie thinking about some of my favorite moments from the show, like the film on making crayons or meeting the killer whale trainers or the “Bubbleland Opera.”  (Seriously, I loved that as a kid!)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is a loving tribute to a man many of us still consider a neighbor.  And it leaves you with stuff to think about – how are you impacting those around you.

TV Show Review: Extreme Treks - Sacred Mountains of China

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Interesting and beautiful look at remote areas of China

Cons: Episodes blend together if you watch back to back

The Bottom Line:

Trekking some mountains

Exploring other cultures

Beautiful and fun

Extreme Treks through Some Beautiful and Dangerous Country

I don’t normally go for travel logs or documentaries, so I was hesitant when I was offered a copy of Extreme Treks: Sacred Mountains of China for review.  Yet something about it appealed to me, so I decided to give it a try and I really enjoyed it.

This was also my introduction to Ryan Pyle, a photographer, our host, and the adventurer who sets out to travel around four of the sacred mountains in China.  These are remote, mostly in the Tibet region, and the only way to do so it to hike them.  Oh, and did I mention the altitude?  This is not a simple day stroll but a multi-day adventure that could turn deadly if proper precautions aren’t taken.

The disc consists of four episodes, each dedicated to a different mountain.  The format is pretty much the same.  He arrives and spends a little time acclimating to the altitude and explaining to us a bit about how this mountain is considered sacred.  Then he sets out with his support crew, and we get breathtaking shots along the way as he encounters obstacles ranging from weather to exhaustion and hints of altitude sickness.

As I was watching, all I could think was “I’d never survive this.”  What he went through in his treks is awe inspiring.  But I’m glad he did because the shots are absolutely beautiful, and I doubt I’d ever learn about this region any other way.

Because these are roughly 45 minute made for TV episodes (and I don’t know where they initially aired), we get just an overview of what he saw and experienced over the multiple days he spent filming and hiking.  Honestly, at times, I felt like I could have watched more just to see the landscape.

At other times, however, I felt like things were a little repetitive, maybe because I watched them several nights in a row.  If I had spaced them out, I don’t think I would have felt this way.

While Ryan did travel with a support crew made up of locals, this is definitely his show.  Almost all the dialogue is him telling us about what has happened, either in voiceover or directly into the camera from the trail.

This Blu-Ray consists of four episodes of the show, so roughly 3 hours of material.  There are no bonus features.  However, you do get the shots in glorious HD, which helps you feel like you are right there.  The sound is in stereo, and it is great as well.

A quick note (that is also included on the disc packaging) that there are a couple of uses of unbleeped language on the shows.  He also strips down to take a dip in a creek at one point.  Keep that in mind if you are thinking of watching with your kids.

Ryan’s passion for China comes through on this disc, and I certainly learned about these mountains and the culture surrounding them while I was watching.  It was well worth taking these vicarious Extreme Treks.

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this Blu-Ray in exchange for my honest review.

Movie Review: Waking Sleeping Beauty

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Fascinating look at Disney animation in the late 80's and early 90's.

Cons: Doesn't quite go far enough

The Bottom Line:

It could go deeper

But for animation fans

This is a must see

The 80's Rebirth of Disney Animation

Being the Disney Animation fan I am, there was no way I could pass up seeing Waking Sleeping Beauty.  True, I was thinking about waiting until it hit DVD, but ultimately I couldn't wait that long.  It was made for people like me who crave the inside scoop on the creation of some of our favorite films.

Waking Sleeping Beauty is a behind the scenes look at the revival of Disney animation that took place during the late 80's and early 90's.  It was directed and narrated by Don Hahn who worked at the studio during that period and worked on such films as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

The movie starts with a brief look at the transition going on during the early 80's.  That serves as background since the film really focuses on the first half of Michael Eisner's reign as CEO of the company.  We get to see him being hired and bringing in Frank Wells and Jeffrey Katzenberg to help him run the company.

The main focus is the 10 year stretch of 1984-1994.  For those who aren't up on their Disney animated movie release dates, that stretch starts with the horrid Black Cauldron and concludes with The Lion King.  The period also saw the release of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.  Quite obviously, this was one of the best periods in animation for a long stretch.

I certainly knew bits and pieces of this story, but getting to hear it from the mouths of those who were actually there was fascinating for me.  We get interviews from all the major players as well as many of the big animators that became household names during that time, including people like John Musker and Glen Keane.

This isn't a talking heads movie.  While some new interviews were recorded, we don't see any of them.  Instead, the interviews serve as background narration to the images on the screen.  The interviewee is credited with a word bubble that pops up at the bottom of the screen for a few seconds as they start to talk.

Much of the footage is old home movies taken by the people involved.  The video quality suffers at times as a result, but I didn't care.  We also get to see actors in their voice recording sessions and news footage from the time of the big premiers, theme park events, or news programs made.

As I already said, I found this documentary absolutely fascinating.  It doesn't try to sugarcoat everything.  The problems with the films and the missteps made by everyone involved are discussed.  I knew the broad picture, but I felt I really got to know the details of much of what happened.  I even learned that John Lasseter had worked at Disney during the time.

While I do admire them discussing some of the warts of that time, I felt like the movie stopped short of really telling the whole story.  One of the last events of the film is Jeffrey Katzenberg leaving the studio (ultimately to help start Dreamworks).  While the behind the scenes tension is discussed as a clash of egos, it still feels rather abrupt to me.  And the men involved in that clash of ego seem to go out of their way to avoid pointing fingers at anyone.  Instead, they all half heartedly take the blame for the falling out.

The movie starts with the premier of The Lion King, flashes back to the early 80's, then works it way forward, ending with much of the same footage and narration it started with.  That works to give us a feeling of completion.  Almost.  Don as narrator twice says that the wheels had come off, but I was left wanting to know more.  What happened next to drive to the steep decline of the Disney animated movie?  I think I would have enjoyed learning more about the next six years than I did the ten years we got here.

Both of those complaints are probably more the Disney fanatic talking than the average movie goer.  After all, this is supposed to be about the rebirth of hand drawn animation, and I want to learn about the rebirth and then almost death of the media.  Of course, that would probably take twice as long as the 84 minutes we get here.  While I'd willingly and cheerfully sit through that, how many others would?

Waking Sleeping Beauty has received a very limited release in only a handful of theaters around the country.  I don't know about plans to expand the release.  If you want to see it and are lucky enough to have it nearby, go.  You'll enjoy it.  I'm sure it will hit DVD soon, so if you miss the limited theatrical release, look for that.  Every Disney fan will enjoy this documentary.

Movie Review: Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Lays out a compelling case for academic freedom

Cons: Other side won't see it

The Bottom Line:

Preaches to the choir

Makes argument for freedom

Should be considered

Defending the "Academic Terrorists"

The last few years have seen no shortage of controversial documentaries. The latest of these is from actor Ben Stein. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed takes a look inside science circles at the controversy surrounding Intelligent Design vs. Evolution.

This documentary purports to follow Ben Stein around as he looks into the charges of blacklisting by the scientific community of scientists who support Intelligent Design. It starts with a few examples of those fired from their jobs or had grants pulled for even daring to mention the name. From there he explores what Intelligent Design is, if there are any potential stumbling blocks for Evolution, and the long term effects of belief in Evolution. All this is done with a series of fast moving interviews interspersed with Ben Stein's dry wit and clips from old movies and news reels to enliven the interviews.

Now I will admit my bias right up front. As a conservative Christian, I actually believe in Creationism. (And this movie does briefly discuss the significant difference between the two. Believe me, there is one.) So I went into the film expecting to appreciate it. And I did.

There is so much packed into these 90 minutes it is hard not to feel overwhelmed at times. I actually wished I had it at home because I wanted to go back and watch parts again. Now I'm not saying it wasn't entertaining or didn't hold my interest. It was just hard to take it all in the first time around.

The main difference between Evolution and Intelligent Design, as presented here, comes down to this, where did life begin? As a result, the film spends some time discussing cells and how incredibly complex they are. I'll admit, this part did go a little over my head. But this is the only part that is remotely science. This film does not purport to prove either side of the debate. All it is trying to do with this part is set up the question that Intelligent Design tries hardest to answer.

Instead, the main focus of the film is on the issue of academic freedom. In addition to the interviews with those blacklisted, Mr. Stein interviews leading Evolutionists. The name calling that comes out of their mouths is staggering. This isn't a mere matter of a difference of opinion with them. Those who advocate or even consider Intelligent Design as a possibility are academic terrorists. No, I'm not making that up. One Evolutionist actually called them that. Granted, most just thought they were stupid. But still, since we are talking about professors on a tenure track or already tenured, that still seems over the top.

A recurring image in the film is of the Berlin Wall. The analogy is made quite convincingly that the scientific community today is little different from the Berlin of old, fencing out ideas they don't like and banishing those who dare question them.

Twice, Mr. Stein attempts to get leading Evolutionists to explain to him where they believe life originated. One gives a theory about the backs of crystals and gets quite upset when Ben doesn't seem to get it. The final interview belongs to Dr. Richard Dawkins, a leading Evolutionist and Atheist (which he freely confesses to over the course of this documentary.) You have to see that quote to fully believe it. Let's just say that he didn't gain any ground in my eyes.

So let's discuss the downfalls of this documentary, shall we? There is a section of the film that transitions from Darwin's theories on survival of the fittest to Eugenics and Nazism. Frankly, I think the film would have been stronger without it. While Ben Stein goes out of his way to say that a only small fraction of Evolutionists ever took Darwin's theory that far, it leaves the documentary open to easy attacks and dismissal by those looking for a reason not to take it seriously. Then again, considering this part of the film concludes with a quote from Darwin himself that questions why humans aren't bred like dogs, maybe this isn't so far out there. Still, it would have been better in a separate documentary so it could be fully explored and debated whether then given short shaft here. (Incidentally, I think this is why the movie got a PG rating as there are a couple shorts of the results of the Holocaust.)

Frankly, that's one of the other flaws of the film. They try to cram so much into these 90 minutes that nothing seems fully developed. Maybe it is because I am still trying to digest it all, but I felt they came close to making a couple points, but never really drove them home.

I didn't care for the film stylistically. It attempts to be edgy and modern with lots of quick cuts on the interview subject (all without breaking audio, so quotes aren't manipulated much if at all). And we get some weird shots like a focus on their hands while they are talking or their face from the nose down. The movie was entertaining enough without these weird shots to distract us.

Another minor point. When they first interviewed someone, they gave us his or her name and credentials. From then on out, they never gave us that information again. There were so many interview subjects, I quickly lost track. Just flashing their name and one line again when we went back to them, especially if it had been a while, would be so helpful in reminding us about them.

But that hasn't even brought up the fatal flaw. Having been on the other side of controversial documentaries in the past few years, I know how the Evolutionist camp will work. They will create a series of talking points to counter every argument in the film. As a result, this movie becomes another case of preaching to the choir. People like me will see it and agree with it. The other side won't see it, and if they do, they won't give it any credence but look for ways to poke holes in everything.

Frankly, that makes me sad. The entire point of the documentary is to try to open up honest debate. I don't expect this film to change any minds on the issue of Intelligent Design vs. Evolution. But it would be nice if those of us in America could discuss the issue intelligently. One scientist interviewed was from Poland, and it sounds like they have the freedom to do that there. What are we so afraid of in our country?

Okay, stepping off my soap box now.

While by no means perfect, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is an entertaining look at a serious subject that affects not only academics but all of us. Go see the documentary with an open mind. Come home and research what it says for yourself. This is too important a subject to just ignore.

Index: Documentaries

I rarely watch and review documentaries.  Can you tell?

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Morning Light
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Won't You Be My Neighbor?