It's a good film, and very Disney. After all the controversy, I had to see it for myself. It's typical fare. The kid (and dog) are smarter than the adults. There are plenty of laughs for the kids and snickers for the adults. There is a terrific score and great animation. There are more than a few "nods" to other works: Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Horton Hears a Who, ET, even Hieronymus Bosch. It pushes peace and cooperation, even in the midst of family drama and daddy issues. And, of course, there is a lot for conservatives to hate. The kids reject their parents. Forcefully. The core family is interracial. The teen is gay (this has been fixated on but it such a minor plot point it takes up little screen time and has no impact on the story outcome). A shop-keeper and the ubiquitous dog are differently abled. Women of color are in charge. And the "kill everything" mantra of the pseudo Yukon Cornelius character is soundly trounced by an eco-message. "Just because we can take from the planet, maybe we shouldn't". This is quickly followed by "Maybe we should understand how to live in concert with other life forms" (yeah, this is actually stated). It's all very nice and upbeat and ends happily. Two characters bond over a brewsky (no one has complained about this, BTW). And they all lived happily ever after. Unless you are a teacher in Florida who dared to show the film to students.
No comments:
Post a Comment