I watched this in September with Jacob, when we were in Albania together. I still have a somewhat vivid memory of it although I did not get around to reviewing it at the time.
I liked the film. The screenplay expanded upon the world created in the original; Riley's mind is now a battle-ground between the new, eclectic group of unhappy emotions representative of adolescence and our original five-man band. I think the premise was clever: puberty is the headwater…
I loved this film. It was a hair away from becoming my all-time favourite. The film is a tour de-force.
I was sceptical about Ariana's casting; it seemed like a stunt. I don't tend to root for homewreckers. However, I must admit - Ariana Grande-Butera (this credit was cute) was otherworldly. She was really campy; her physicality was excellent. I didn't see her as a pop star (except anytime Boq came on screen...); I saw her as Galinda. She was…
As a short-film, it really works; the plot is simple but well-executed, the animation is gorgeous, and the aesthetic is well-done. I felt the maternal love between the mother and the bao; I felt shock when the mother ate the bao.
I think this film would have more of an emotional grip if I wanted to 'leave the nest' or if I was a mother.
I really liked this movie. I thought the visual direction was fantastic; the cinematography and animation were marvellous. The visual style is wacky, gorgeous, and the aesthetic is a great homage to the 2000s.
The 'red panda' is a clever double metaphor about the turbulence and shame of puberty, but also about concealing the so-called 'ugly' parts of oneself.
The conflict is a cookie-cutter intergenerational conflict/coming-of-age story (limiting it from a higher rating) but the execution is well-done.
