Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Tokyo Godfathers

Call No: TEMP 1333

I thought that I might as well review one more anime film before the end. And since my previous two anime reviews (Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away) were Miyazaki films, I decided to review one that wasn’t. The premise of the film is similar to that of an old Western called Three Godfathers, in which three gunslingers come across an abandoned baby and decide to try and raise it between the three of them. I was expecting something similar from Tokyo Godfathers. I was expecting more of a quiet and thought-provoking drama. While there is a great deal of drama, it’s not all subtle. There’s a shooting, a car chase, and more than one pursuit on foot. The film is a unique concoction of drama, action, suspense and silly fun, all told in a beautifully animated film.

When three homeless people find an abandoned baby while rummaging through the trash, they each have a different opinion of what to do. Miss Hana, the transvestite, has always wanted to raise a baby and wants to keep it. The cantankerous Gin wants to hand it over to the police. And the young runaway Miyuki doesn’t care what they do, so long as they can make the baby stop crying. Hana finally comes up with a compromise – let her find the baby’s mother to ask and understand why she abandoned her baby, and then she’ll turn it over to the police. The trio set out to find the mother, and find a lot more than they bargained for in the process.

Toy Story (1995)

Toy Story

Call No: PN1997 .T69 2010

When the Oscar nominees for Best Picture came out last week, most of the names that I had expected to see were there. One name that I found (pleasantly) surprising was the summer blockbuster Toy Story 3, the final film in the famous toy trilogy. I remember reading about the studio’s determination to get a Best Picture nod, even going so far as to launch a series of posters, comparing scenes from the film to famous Oscar winners of the past. (You can find a collection of the posters HERE). The only other animated films to make the esteemed ballot was Beauty and the Beast in 1993 and Up in 2009. Being a fan of the Pixar and especially the series, I decided to go back and watch the first one again.

We all know the story. Andy is the boy who loves his toys, which all come to life when he’s not around. There’s Hamm the piggy bank, the cowardly dinosaur Rex, the often abrasive Mr. Potato Head, the loyal Slinky, and the pretty Bo Peep. The natural leader of the group, and favourite toy of Andy, is Sheriff Woody, a cowboy doll with a heart of gold. However, his patience and compassion for others is tested when Andy receives a new toy: a Buzz Lightyear action figure. Suddenly the toy room isn’t big enough for two favourite toys, and a fight results in both toys being separated from their owner with only days away from a house move. Buzz and Woody will have to learn to work together if they want to survive and get back to Andy, especially when the toy-destroying boy next door, Sid, gets his hands on them.

Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away

Call No: TEMP 1317

Back in November, I reviewed Hayao Miyazaki’s film Howl’s Moving Castle. This time, I’ll be reviewing his film Spirited Away. It was the first foreign film to win in the Best Animated Feature category at the 2003 Oscars and as a result, it gained a great deal of publicity, both for the film and the Japanese filmmaker. Many have considered it to be his masterpiece. After seeing the beauty and magic of this film, it’s hard to disagree.

The film centers around Chihiro, a young girl who wanders into a magical world inhabited by spirits, ghosts, demons and witches. When her parents are turned into pigs by Yubaba, the owner of the bathhouse where the spirits come to replenish themselves, Chihiro is forced to stay in this world until she can find a way to save them. With the help of a mysterious boy named Haku, Kamaji the boiler man, and Lin, a fellow bathhouse worker, Chihiro sets off on the adventure of a lifetime full of wonder, excitement, and enchantment.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Howl’s Moving Castle
Call No: TEMP 1686

I’ve always been a fan of cartoons. I spent countless hours of my childhood with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Animaniacs gang. As I grew older, I still enjoyed cartoons and their longer relatives, the feature-length animated film. Soon I began to recognize a difference between the types of animation, and such a type is “anime”. As many Japanese animation fans will testify (as will Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory), anime is not a cartoon. Anime is the term used to refer to Japanese animation, be it shows or films. One of, if not the, most influential animator in Japan is Hayao Miyazaki.   Considered to be the Walt Disney of Japan, Hayao Miyazaki has enriched and perfected the art of storytelling in his films by combining heartfelt drama, comic relief, dynamic characters and stunning animation. Howl’s Moving Castle is no different.

For those who have never been exposed to anime before, this is an excellent place to start. While some fans of anime might recommend the classic Academy-Award winning Spirited Away instead (which I will review in the New Year), it would be better to start with Howl’s Moving Castle. It has a more linear approach to the story than other anime films and, as someone pointed out to me, can be considered more Westernized and universal in terms of content. A large part of that comes from the fact that it’s based on the British novel of the same name, written by Diana Wynne Jones.

The story is about a young woman named Sophie who is the victim of a spell that makes her appear old and prevents her from talking about the curse. Her only hope in reversing it comes in the form of a talented but irresponsible young wizard named Howl, who rather than fight or defend anything instead prefers to run using his magical moving castle, powered by an ancient fire demon named Calcifer. Throw in a witch after Howl’s heart, a ruthless wizard instructor and a war-torn kingdom where wizards are used as soldiers. Add in the fact that Howl might not be all he appears to be and you have an intriguing story full of fantasy and adventure.