Hitpig

Typically animated films are released either in the summer or around the end of the year, but the makers of "Hitpig" decided to release this animated flick in the middle of autumn--not sure why, but hopefully it will bode well for them. Designed by an animated company which isn't familiar--Talecraft Animation Studios, this is presented well and the animation is well thought out.

Hitpig (Jason Sudeikis) is a pig hired by humans to bring back their escaped animals. It's not easy, but it's a living. His latest hit is Pickles (Lilly Singh), a naive but vivacious elephant who had escaped the clutches of an evil Vegas showman, Leapin Lord of the Leotard (Rainn Wilson). Though Hitpig initially sets out to capture the perky pachyderm for big cash, the unlikely pair find themselves on an unexpected adventure criss-crossing the globe that brings out the best in both of them. Set in a futuristic cyberpunk world, Hitpig proves sometimes what we want isn't necessarily what we need. 

Others to round out the cast are Anitta as Leticia, RuPaul as Polecat, Lorraine Ashbourne as Bertha, Andy Serkis as Newscaster, Charlie Adler as Super Rooster, Flavor Flav as Chef Emcee, Dave Rosenbaum as Janitor and Hannah Gadsby as Lola. 

This was directed with humor and clarity by David Feiss ("The Body Electric" (TV movie) '85, "A Cool Like That Christmas" (TV movie) '93, "Open Season: Scared Silly" '15) plus TV, shorts, videos and a TV short, and Cinzia Angelini (short). With the experience Feiss has including all the TV and shorts, it's no wonder why this film was sequenced well and delineated with crispness. Alrhough Feiss has the lion's share of the directing, certainly Angelini was pivotal with input that was needed. It was written well by Berkeley Breathed, Dave Rosenbaum and Tyler Werrin, based on a screen story by Berkeley Breathed, which is based on the book "Pete and Pickles" by Berkeley Breathed. This is a film that is geared toward kids, but all can leave the theater feeling better about themselves and others. And because its demographic is primarily for kids, it does have a tendency to be a bit predictable in its plot. This was probably purposed, however it would've been a bit more captivating if there were somewhat stronger challenges with these characters even it being a comedy. Although I've never heard of Talecraft Animation Studios--the company that drew this, its design was effective as it was original and as talented a company as Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Blue Sky and the like. 

If you like animation and a heartwarming, witty story, this is the film for you. As aforementioned, this is primarily geared to kids, but adults can revel as well--I did enjoy it. It is a bit predictable, however not really enough to take away from this story based on the classic book.  

Out 4 Stars: 3.5                                     Rated: PG                                          85mins.

Here

Robert Zemeckis has given us a plethora of films that utilize a certain look or effect that he attempts to accentuate his films with, and I must say, these techniques are a very powerful way to convince his audience of the story. We've seen "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", "Back to the future", "Death Becomes Her", "Forrest Gump", "The Polar Express" and "The Walk" where he has showcased these effects. So now, he has given us "Here" whereas he again has implemented those effects with concise delineation.

"Here" is an original film about multiple families and a special place they inhabit. The story travels through generations, capturing the most relatable of human experiences. Robert Zemekis directs from a screenplay by Eric Roth and himself. Told much in the style of the acclaimed graphic novel by Richard McGuire on which it is based, Tom Hanks as Richard and Robin Wright as Margaret star in a tale of love, loss, laughter and life, all of which happens here.

Others to round out the cast are Paul Bettany as Al, Richard's father, Kelly Reilly as Rose, Richard's mother, Michelle Dockery as Pauline Marter, Ophelia Lovibond as Stella Beekman, Beau Gadsdon as Young Elizabeth and Jonathan Aris as Earl Higgins. 

This was directed with heart and deep feelings by the incomparable Robert Zemeckis ("I Wanna Hold Your Hand" '78, "Used Cars" '80, "Back to the Future" '85, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" '88, "Death Becomes Her" '92, "Forrest Gump" '94, "Contact" '97, "Cast Away" '2000, "The Polar Express" '04, "Flight" '12, "The Walk" '15, "Allied" '16, "Pinocchio" '22) plus other films, TV, shorts and videos. Whether Zeneckis utilizes special effects or not in order to effectively direct a film, he is typically a well-honed, caliber filmmaker. His ability to encourage his actors to exude the emotions they need to be convincing is their respective roles is amazing, and this film is no exception. If you like this director's brand of filmmaking, his "The King" is in development. It was wonderfully written by Eric Roth ("The Nickel Ride" '74, "The Concorde...Airport '79" '79, "Suspect" '87, "Forrest Gump" '94, "The Insider" '99, "Ali" '01, "Munich" '05, "Lucky You" '07, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" '08, "A Star is Born" '18, "Dune: Part One" '21, "Killers of the Flower Moon" '23) plus other films, TV and a short, and Robert Zemeckis ("1941" '79, "Used Cars" '80, "Back to the Future" '85, "Trespass" '92, "The Polar Express" '04, "A Christmas Carol" '09, "The Walk" '15, "Welcome to Marwen" '18, "Pinocchio" '22) and other films, TV, shorts videos and video games, based on the graphic novel by Richard McGuire. The film was presented in an almost play format because the camera was set up in the living room and facing the front bay window, and then implemented split screen effects within the plot which helped in allowing this film to progress in a more rapid way, otherwise I could see this film running in excess of two and half hours. It did jump from family to family and time period to time period, but there was definitely a connection within the different scenes so it became cohesive. It was shot in a heartwarming and enduring way 'looking' into different families' lives. It has some interesting aspects such as the home across the street was a house Benjamin Franklin lived in and one of the families in the house invented the Lazy-Boy recliner which made it interesting. The performances by both Tom Hanks and Robin Wright were exquisite and a delight to see them reunite from "Forest Gump" in which they co-starred. And the musical score by Alan Silvestri, basically Zemeckis' music composer, flowed incredibly well throughout the production. The cinematography by Don Burgess asc was incredibly original and even though the camera was set up in one position, it still kept ones' attention, and lastly, the visual effects predominantly designed by Double Negative were stunning and went hand in hand with the story. 

If you are a Zemeckis fan, you'll love this. It is heartwarming, funny, dramatic, redeeming in that families are healed emotionally. It's original presentation of the premise is entertaining as it is captivating. I'm perplexed that other critics have panned this film--I feel that they perhaps didn't or couldn't 'feel' this film. For this to happen, one must allow themselves to feel the film. This is a gem!!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                           Rated: PG-13                                      104mins.