|
|||||||||||||||||||
The Wild - Review
Length: 94 min Rated: G Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures Release Date: 2006-04-14 Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, James Belushi, Eddie Izzard, Janeane Garofalo, William Shatner, Richard Kind, Greg Cipes
Directed by Steve 'Spaz' Williams
Produced by Beau Flynn, Clint Goldman
Written by Mark Gibson, Philip Halprin, Ed Decter, John J. Strauss
Visit the movie's Official Site!
Heard it before? Yet despite its extreme similarities to Madagascar, Walt Disney Studios’ The Wild is a very different picture. Sure the storyline may be very close, at least until the animals get on the island (which, granted, is the bulk of the film) but Disney takes a far different approach to the story that Dreamworks released last year. The most obvious difference is the visual approach to the movie. While Madagascar went with a heavily stylized, cartoonish feel, Disney takes a more realistic approach to its film. The result is stunning at times, with lush jungles and furry animals that look almost lifelike. The CGI animation is quite impressive most of the time, with one downfall. Because the animals are made to look so real, they lose some of their expressiveness. The extremely talented vocal abilities of the cast make up for the lost visual, but it is still a loss for the movie. The second difference is that this is not a buddy picture like its predecessor. The story here centers around a father and son set of lions who can’t seem to communicate properly, leading to the son running off in an attempt to discover his inner roar by traveling to “the wild.” This element takes the story in a very usual Disney direction, focusing on a character (or characters) who are trying to find their place in the world. Because of that, the movie carries elements of Disney’s biggest animated hit, The Lion King. Some people will tell you Disney’s just ripping off as many pictures as they can with this film, but I think the nods to The Lion King are strong points for this film, and an element that really separates it from Madagascar. The film goes in an interesting direction for the cast, handing roles over to very non-Disney style actors like Kiefer Sutherland, Janeane Garofalo, and most notably, Eddie Izzard. The actors do a marvelous job of bringing very strong characters to life. I had great concerns from the trailers that the movie would try to set Izzard’s koala character up to be that annoying breakout character for the film. The truth is the film sets all of the characters up that way. There isn’t a character here that doesn’t serve a purpose for the story and really get a chance to shine, with unique personalities and performances for all. Besides, where else are you going to get a film with Izzard and William Shatner? Disney’s The Wild is a fun movie with fun characters, entertaining visuals, and a Disney style-story that most people will be able to relate to. So what if it bears a striking similarity to another picture released in the last year? That shouldn’t keep you from enjoying it, possibly even more than the other film.
Image Gallery for The Wild
     Comment on “The Wild”Note: This website is not meant for use by minors. The views expressed in the comments section below are not our own. This section is intended for discussion of the topic in the post above. Disagreement is encouraged, however comments which attack, insult, or threaten the author in a personal manner won't be published. Similarly, comments that we deem to be poorly worded, or wildly off topic will also not be approved and may be mocked. For free, uncensored, unfettered, and possibly dangerous discussion visit our forum.Subscribe to topic comments Subscribe to topic comments Leave a ReplyMAIN SITE NAVIGATION
HOME l ABOUT US l l SEARCH l MOVIE NEWS l MOVIE REVIEWS l MOVIE PREVIEWS l DVD REVIEWS l DVD NEWS l SOUNDTRACKS l FEATURES DATABASE l TELEVISION l MUSIC l GAMES l CELEBRITY l TECHNOLOGY l RSS 2.0 FEEDS l MESSAGE BOARDS l LIVE CHAT l SYNDICATE US l LINKS | CB STORE | MUNCH MONSTER | GFR This site is operated by Cinema Blend LLC. For advertising inquiries, contact Gorilla Nation. CinemaBlend.com is a private, independently owned website which is intended only as entertainment. The views expressed on this website may or may not reflect those of its owner. Don't take us too seriously. Made in Webta Labs 
|
|
April 15, 2006 at 12:28