I am wholly confident that Sony will be incapable of learning from its mistakes with the last three films and do something even spectacularly worse with the next Spider-Man movie than they did with Spider-Man 3.
This looks perfect!!!
Tell Sony it’s not too late. They haven’t really started yet– they can get rid of that director they hired and get Anderson instead. He’d be perfect.
Brilliant. Personally, I think Anderson has continually improved, film by film, even though a lot of people have consigned him to the realm of Idiosyncratic Stylists, which is like a death note for relevance. Darjeeling Limited felt like it had less of his usual tics and a much more expansive world view. And it’s nice to see him go totally outside his usual range with Fantastic Mr. Fox, which was great. I don’t know, I think there’s just more there beyond the oft-imitated quirks, and thankfully he seems to be working to show that.
I don’t know, I’m a big ol’ Wes Anderson fan, and I don’t see any reason to excuse or apologize for his stylistic quirks. I think he’s probably a talented enough director where he could make a movie that *doesn’t* do all that stuff, but he just loves world-building so much. Royal Tenenbaums is almost as much of a fantasy movie as Lord of the Rings in its way – it’s all about YOU ARE IN MIDDLE-EARTH or YOU ARE IN THIS NOT-QUITE-70s/NOT-QUITE-90s NEW YORK.
I too have found Anderson less and less appealling with each film, but I have to second Joel’s comment: The Fantastic Mr. Fox is brilliant, possibly Anderson’s best movie. It’s definitely got all his usual quirks, but the humour is actually really funny for a change, and the characters are warm and likeable. The last shot is both hilarious and sad. And it’s so refreshing to see an animated film with such a distinct authorial stamp, that’s so unlike everything else on screens right now.
In a year with several very strong animated films, Fantastic Fox may in fact be the best. Yes, it may even be better than Up. That’s how good it is. The fact that it flopped is a huge, crying shame.
I think (hope) Fantastic Mr. Fox will have a long afterlife on video; in fact, I think it may eventually become a classic. (Was the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka movie a success on release? That’s not a rhetorical question, I’m too lazy to look it up.)
Regarding this film, the only thing they got wrong was that Anderson would never use the whole costume — he’d just have Noah Baumbach wear the mask with his regular clothes. Also I think they got the font wrong for the credits; it didn’t look like Futura to me.
Matthew, the original Willy Wonka was not a big hit when first released. It only made $4m at the box office, which was only a million dollars more than its budget. It didn’t become a “classic” until it began airing on network TV once a year throughout the Seventies, like the Wizard of Oz.
And I am in full agreement on the greatness of The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
The problem with the Royal Tenenbaums is that while you could sense it was supposed to be a great movie… it felt forced, intentional, like we were required to read Catcher in the Rye and Separate Peace and like it.
I like Wes Anderson’s tics. ‘Rushmore’ and ‘Royal Tennenbaums’ are among the few movies I can watch over and over. ‘The Life Aquatic’ was kind of weak, though, and I haven’t seen the others.
^seriously. The Owen Wilson impression was spooky.
I’m not that familiar with Wes Anderson, so all this reminded me of was the opening credits of Juno.
Third that Owen Wilson impersonation being spot-on. I really thought that was Owen Wilson’s voice, that they just took a track from one of Anderson’s films or something.
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I am wholly confident that Sony will be incapable of learning from its mistakes with the last three films and do something even spectacularly worse with the next Spider-Man movie than they did with Spider-Man 3.
Wes Anderson isn’t [i]that[/i] bad.
OK, yeah, he is….
I would totally watch that film.
This looks perfect!!!
Tell Sony it’s not too late. They haven’t really started yet– they can get rid of that director they hired and get Anderson instead. He’d be perfect.
Hey, a guy from LUElinks did this.
Brilliant. Personally, I think Anderson has continually improved, film by film, even though a lot of people have consigned him to the realm of Idiosyncratic Stylists, which is like a death note for relevance. Darjeeling Limited felt like it had less of his usual tics and a much more expansive world view. And it’s nice to see him go totally outside his usual range with Fantastic Mr. Fox, which was great. I don’t know, I think there’s just more there beyond the oft-imitated quirks, and thankfully he seems to be working to show that.
…
Where can I get a digital videocamera so I can make my own Spider-Man?
I still think that The Royal Tenenbaums is amazing, Anderson’s tics and all.
Am I a bad person for misreading that as Wes Craven’s Spider-Man?
I don’t know, I’m a big ol’ Wes Anderson fan, and I don’t see any reason to excuse or apologize for his stylistic quirks. I think he’s probably a talented enough director where he could make a movie that *doesn’t* do all that stuff, but he just loves world-building so much. Royal Tenenbaums is almost as much of a fantasy movie as Lord of the Rings in its way – it’s all about YOU ARE IN MIDDLE-EARTH or YOU ARE IN THIS NOT-QUITE-70s/NOT-QUITE-90s NEW YORK.
I’ve got the same Spider-mask. The fun never stops.
I too have found Anderson less and less appealling with each film, but I have to second Joel’s comment: The Fantastic Mr. Fox is brilliant, possibly Anderson’s best movie. It’s definitely got all his usual quirks, but the humour is actually really funny for a change, and the characters are warm and likeable. The last shot is both hilarious and sad. And it’s so refreshing to see an animated film with such a distinct authorial stamp, that’s so unlike everything else on screens right now.
In a year with several very strong animated films, Fantastic Fox may in fact be the best. Yes, it may even be better than Up. That’s how good it is. The fact that it flopped is a huge, crying shame.
I think (hope) Fantastic Mr. Fox will have a long afterlife on video; in fact, I think it may eventually become a classic. (Was the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka movie a success on release? That’s not a rhetorical question, I’m too lazy to look it up.)
Regarding this film, the only thing they got wrong was that Anderson would never use the whole costume — he’d just have Noah Baumbach wear the mask with his regular clothes. Also I think they got the font wrong for the credits; it didn’t look like Futura to me.
I mean Jason Schwartzmann, of course, not Noah Baumbach (though the latter would co-write the screenplay.)
Matthew, the original Willy Wonka was not a big hit when first released. It only made $4m at the box office, which was only a million dollars more than its budget. It didn’t become a “classic” until it began airing on network TV once a year throughout the Seventies, like the Wizard of Oz.
And I am in full agreement on the greatness of The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
The problem with the Royal Tenenbaums is that while you could sense it was supposed to be a great movie… it felt forced, intentional, like we were required to read Catcher in the Rye and Separate Peace and like it.
I think that was kind of the point with Tenenbaums, Paul; it is inherently a parody of The Magnificent Ambersons.
I love Anderson’s tics, and don’t want him to change. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is one of my favoritest films.
I’m choosing to fixate on the miscasting of Gwyneth Paltrow as MJ.
Her name is already Gwen!
I like Wes Anderson’s tics. ‘Rushmore’ and ‘Royal Tennenbaums’ are among the few movies I can watch over and over. ‘The Life Aquatic’ was kind of weak, though, and I haven’t seen the others.
With great power comes great understatement.
I am with Bill Reed here, I loved the Life Aquatic, and I really don’t want him to change.
These days when all movies feel the same, I applaud any director that dares to actually have a style, tics and all, and stick to it.
And I would watch the hell out of his spiderman…
MGK, good Owen Wilson impersonations are never easy.
^seriously. The Owen Wilson impression was spooky.
I’m not that familiar with Wes Anderson, so all this reminded me of was the opening credits of Juno.
Third that Owen Wilson impersonation being spot-on. I really thought that was Owen Wilson’s voice, that they just took a track from one of Anderson’s films or something.
@Shock: Ditto. Uncanny.