Born to Dance (1936) is a dud to avoid, even if it’s got James Stewart in it. The music is terrible, even if it is written by Cole Porter. And even though Eleanor Powell was considered a great tap dancer back then, I couldn’t stomach her. She moved so oddly, as if her body wasn’t a whole, but two separate parts. Her legs moved to one beat while her upper body was a sort of buoy, bouncing up and down with some ill-shaped waves. Gosh, it was awful! I had to stop watching the movie midway. Where was the grace, the beauty, of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dances? It sure wasn’t here. The dialogue was forgettable, the songs were unlistenable, and the dancing… yikes! Leave this movie on the shelf, gathering dust. We shouldn’t disturb its rest…
Daily Archives: December 5, 2006
Happy Feet (2006)
Go see Happy Feet (2006). It’s a wonderful and entertaining movie. The animation’s great, the message is inspiring, and there isn’t one dull moment. C’mon, haven’t you ever wanted to see a penguin dance? It’s hilarious! I like the message of the movie as well: if we just do our best with what we have, we’ll get our point across and get what we need. It’s also nice that the movie touches upon environmental awareness. We humans are like pigs in the way we use the environment. Seldom do we stop to think about the consequences of our behavior on nature and other species. This movie serves as a clear reminder of that problem, and it’s a good message for the kids to hear. Robin Williams is great in his three, yes three roles as Ramon, Lovelace and Cletus. As an added bonus, the other cast voices are well known names as well: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving and, posthumously, Steve Irwin, the “crocodile hunter”.
Raoul Pop 