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Emma (1996)
Disappointing--even to a non-Jane Austen fan
This was the first Ewan McGregor movie I ever saw outside of Star Wars. Since then I have become a very big Ewan McGregor fan but I still can't bring myself to forgive this movie's existence.
My sister has always been a huge Jane Austen fan and because of that, I have been subjected to various of the classics, Emma being one of them. I've always considered them irritating, stupid and boring. However, after watching this terrible rendition, I was forced to admit that the original Emma was delightful and charming. Ewan McGregor scarcely serves a purpose in this film after they hacked and mutilated the part of Frank Churchill. Gweneth Paltrow is ridiculous in an already ridiculous character and the rest of the film is unremarkable and stupid.
My recommendation to anybody who is remotely interested in English period drama... go see the originals. If you're a Ewan McGregor fan... believe me, by skipping this film, you haven't missed anything but five minutes collective of him in a silly hat and a bad haircut.
The Lion King (1994)
Hamlet, Prince of the Savannah
"The Lion King" is perhaps the last "true" Disney film and the second movie I ever saw in a theatre. I saw very few movies at all as a child and when my parents took me for my birthday one year, I was delighted. Perhaps that is why this movie means as much to me as it does. My love of "The Lion King" probably also relates to my passion for literature and enjoyment of Shakespeare's "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" on which Lion King was loosely based. A prince alone, commanded by the ghost of his betrayed father, must reclaim his kingdom and set his corrupt uncle straight: perhaps one of the most fascinating of Shakespeare's concepts.
Though I am somewhat annoyed by the "new age" views presented in "The Lion King," I have always found this film amusing, the music good, and the animation colorful. It was my young niece's favorite movie as she grew up and I hope, with its new DVD release, many more generations of children will be able to enjoy it as I and my family have.
Gulliver's Travels (1939)
A Slice of Childhood
I remember watching very few movies and even less television as a child. This was one of the movies that I would check out periodically from the main branch of the library and I remember it being a very special treat. I had forgotten about it completely until recently I found it laying on a shelf in my local Wal Mart for a dollar. I bought it and watched it a few days later.
Looking at it through adult eyes, I saw that yes, the animation was poor, the singing extremely "60s choir" and not at all pleasant. The dialog and storyline were hardly complex but then again, what episode of "Barney" has complex dialog and storyline? It's a kids' movie and personally, I think kids would benefit far more from watching this than "Barney"!
Gulliver's Travels is the timeless story of a man who washes up on the shore of a country inhabited by little people. While the town crier strives to inform the king that "There's a giant on the beach!", the king is planning a fantastic wedding for his daughter, who is engaged to the prince of a neighboring country. A simple disagreement between the two monarchs leads to war and Gulliver looks to find a way to make peace between them. I laughed harder over this movie than I have over most of Disney's new fare.
It's not rocket science, but it's a nice way to spend 78 minutes, especially if you're only five years old or remember this movie from childhood.