Reviews: Australia & Bolt

Down Under the Weather

As is now happening as we enter the final weeks of 2008, there is a barrage of films being released that had Oscar analysts and bloggers running wild in a frenzy to try and pick which films would hit the strongest mark upon their release. I remember when talk of this film surfaced, the long delayed and ambitious project from a noted, and Oscar-less, director. To many it sounded very intriguing. To me, however, it sounded like an bloated feature that would spend a fair amount of its time on the style and leaving the rest up to the suspension of the audience. So is the plight of Baz Luhrman, and so is why I continue to find his films wonderful looking messes.

In an obvious attempt to become a throw back epic of the 1940s, the story transports itself to Australia at the beginning of World War II. Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) goes to the continent/country to tend to a cow ranch that her recently murdered husband had in his possession in order to fulfil an army contract. After she fires the villain of the film (David Wenham) for moral corruption, she hires Drover (Hugh Jackman) to help her get the cattle to the ships. Things take a major turn when the love story begins to bloom between Sarah and Drover, as well as a complicated social relationship that she has with a half white, half Aboriginal boy (Brandon Walters).

The movie is the exact definition of epic. Nothing about the picture is ever small. The majestic landscape cinematography from Mandy Walker, as well as the intense close ups of Jackman and Kidman, make the movie feel as big as it can be. The film is also the definition of what a Baz Luhrman film is. Luhrman always has A-plus material when it comes to the style of his films, and the sets and costumes by two time Oscar winner Catherine Martin (Mrs. Luhrman) are in all excess and beautiful to look at. The same goes for Walker's lighting. However, very much like his praised Moulin Rouge!, the story then takes a backseat to the visual spectacle.

Hidden within the story are a few gems here and there, but a lot of if makes the movie shift from place to place. There's a rousing action adventure, a sweeping romance, a war time drama, and a schmaltzy tear jerker all rolled up into one. Of all of them, the action is the most impactful, and a scene involving a stampede near a cliff is a very exciting one. The rest of them would strike a chord if the film was not so self-consciously aware of its nostalgic scale. The film's continuing reference of The Wizard of Oz really makes the film come out as a bit smug.

Kidman has always been an actress that I've liked, but have never understood why the rest of the world loves (I'm looking at you too, Jennifer Aniston). She and Jackman, also wasted here, are just as much prop pieces as the CGI ships that glide in the background. Needless to say, the acting is not the main draw here, despite the very good Wenham and Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil to help bring the sinking ensemble up for air.

To be perfectly clear, Australia is a beautiful film to look at. Still, I cannot really say that you should spend ten dollars, as well as two hours and forty-five minutes, on a movie that really has no other satisfaction than that. The cast is okay, and the story is far too vast in trying to keep up with the visuals. I have still not seen a film from Luhrman that I really liked. However, I do believe the day will come where he will deliver a film that is equally capable of achieving a great visual spectacle along with a competent story. Unfortunately, this isn't it. ** / ****; GRADE: C






Doggy Style

Wherever you seek out the best animation, one should look no further than Disney. Actually, to be more precise, one should look a little bit to the left on the Disney property and look into the house with the name Pixar out in front. Future Oscar-winner Wall-E was an outstanding achievement and is certainly a true winner in everybody's books. Recently, in an effort to take back their own animation, Disney unveiled its new CG animation that wasn't quite Pixar, but wasn't quite Dreamworks either. The last one they had was Meet the Robinsons, and I'm guessing that those who actually remember that film are very few. Bolt isn't without its faults, but it is generally a fun ride that most kids and adults can enjoy.

The title character, voiced by John Travolta, is a dog who is also the star of a hit primetime show on television where he plays a dog with superpowers. The only catch is that the creators of the show have taken careful efforts to make the studio environment seem real to him (sort of like The Truman Show), and he comes to believe he actually possesses these powers. However, during an episode where Bolt believes his human master Penny (Miley Cyrus) is kidnapped by the show's villain, he breaks free to try and rescue her.

That attempt is foiled, and he gets shipped away from the LA set to New York. It's there where he forcibly recruits a stray cat (Susie Essman) to help him find Penny, along with an energetic hamster (Mark Walton) who is a fan of Bolt's show. During the trip is also when Bolt begins reconcile with the knowledge that he doesn't have any powers and learns the true value of friendship.

Being a Disney movie, it isn't without its traditional Disney sap, and when those scenes of danger or loss start to play to John Powell's stringy score, you can hear Martin Landau yelling, "Pull the string!" right next to your heart (that right, it's an Ed Wood reference). Even with all of that, the movie still remains effective in getting you emotionally involved with the characters, as well as being really funny. Some of the visual gags are good for everyone, and because this new Disney animation lies between Pixar and Dreamworks, there are occasional references to other movies and media, but never with a sense of an overbearing nature. When there are discussions about the world of television executives and pitch ideas, I could definitely hear more parents in the audience laughing than children.

The voice acting isn't superb, but it does a nice job with its cast. Travolta brings a little charm to his character, but not much. Most of it comes from the animators who, and I've never said this about any animated animal, is actually a really cute dog. Cyrus is good, but I was more entertained by a slight parallel of the studio's insistence to keep Bolt within their grasp to her own relationship with Disney. By far, the funniest performers are Essman and Walton, who deliver the right amount of energy in their characters. I do wish we could have heard more of Malcolm McDowell, but I'm satisfied enough just to hear him.

As I said, the movie isn't perfect. It's a fairly predictable family film that doesn't have a consistent comedic tone. However, there are enough full hardy laughs to say that a good time will be had at this show. I would still say that if you want great animated films, you should go to Pixar, but this other division of Disney is working just fine now. Also, if you can catch this movie in 3-D, I'd recommend it. It doesn't have a lot of the "in-your-face" 3-D, but it gives a lot more depth to the film, making it more of a 3-D movie and less of a movie in 3-D. *** / ****; GRADE: B