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"Prince" Is More Accurate

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Under discussion:

King: The Martin Luther King Story (1978)

Not Ossie Davis or Cicely Tyson's greatest work (they generally sound unconvincingly worked up), but Paul Winfield is excellent as MLK Jr. Filling out the cast is a who's who of black supporting actors (Mr. Tibbs from the "In The Heat of the Night" TV show! The black Ghostbuster! The dude who played Elijah Mohammed in "Malcolm X"!).

The story, though linear and convincing, is full of made-for-TV moments that clearly identify it as a late '70s miniseries. The overall effect is a success, driven by moving recreations of King's best-known speeches, but the occasional historically inaccurate scene dramatizes King's efforts to mind-numbing simplicity. MLK does deserve better and I know some guys who can deliver the goods.

Posted Wednesday, May 21, 2008 1:26 AM by Tenenbaums | with 0 comments

Who-spotting

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Under discussion:

Horton Hears a Who (2008)

"Horton Hears a Who!" is the latest charming value-teaching movie with cutting-edge computer animation and a bevy of celebrity voices.

Based on the book by Dr. Seuss, it's the story of Horton (Jim Carrey), a kind, innocent elephant determined to protect the world of Whoville. Horton finds a friend in Whoville's mayor (Steve Carell), and as neither quirky male finds support in his respective world, they must take solo action to keep Whoville safe on each end.

Just as important as the Seuss pedigree and lessons of unity and perspective is the talented cast. Carrey's and Carell's "aw, shucks" comedic voices translate well to animation.

After a pair of disastrous forays into live-action, the many winning facets of "Horton" prove that the magical Seuss world can be done justice only through animation.

But even with the successful inclusion of the now-expected legion of adult references, it's incapable of expanding the genre expectations of modern animated films, making it as predictable as a child's lollipop.

Posted Wednesday, May 21, 2008 12:04 AM by Tenenbaums | with 0 comments