Female Film Critics 24/375
Coyote vs. Acme is a delightful late summer surprise. This live-action/animated misadventure originated in Ian Frazier’s 1990 humorous anti-corporate New Yorker satire, a mock court case in which Looney Tunes’ resilient Wile E. Coyote sues the Acme Corporation for all the defective mail-order products (rocket-propelled roller skates, jet-boosted pogo stick) that have malfunctioned as he relentlessly chased the Road Runner
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Three years after being shelved for a tax write-off, Coyote vs. Acme screeches into theaters, as much a metaphor for perseverance as its wily protagonist. Boulder-size expectations aside, it’s delightful, a screwball, surprisingly poignant tribute to creativity, friendship, and that indefatigable super genius, Wile E. Coyote. Based on Ian Frazier’s dryly brilliant short story in The New Yorker, Coyote vs. Acme</em> blends live action with animation as the dogged desert dweller once again fails to trap his white whale, the Road Runner (scientific name: Fastas Hellus</em>), because of some flawed Acme product.
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Wile E. Coyote is tired. Tired of playing the game. Tired of being blown up by explosives. Tired of being hit in the head with anvils. Tired of being demolished by dynamite. Tired of being hurled off cliffs. He’s so tired. But not too tired to fight back. Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), the worn out wolf sues Acme for continual product failure and ends up going to battle with the profit-obsessed conglomerate’s bull dog attorney Buddy Crane, over acted by John Cena, uncovering a corporate cover-up in the process. Instead of just wanting to eat the Roadrunner, a whole other side of Mr. Coyote is revealed.
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A Paradise Lost starts with a shocking murder, but it’s not a whodunnit. It’s a tale of myths and magic, of passing time and inevitable “progress,” of legal maneuvers and moral justice, of humans vs. nature — and nature vs. nature. It’s a documentary that is whimsical and pedantic, spiritual and practical. The paradise of the title is Hawaii, specifically the Big Island of Hawaii, home to the volcano Mauna Kea and a small bird called a palila. With a vibrant yellow head and neck, a white belly and gray wings, the palila is noted for the beauty of its plumage and its song. It’s also an endangered species.
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The battle for playtime begins as traditional toys encounter tech in Toy Story 5, reuniting Woody and Buzz Lightyear, along with the rest of the CGI team, 31 years after they first burst onto the silver screen. Shy, eight-year-old Bonnie loves the fantasy world she shares with plucky cowgirl Jessie and her trusty steed, Bullseye, but she has trouble making friends with kids in the neighborhood. Because they don’t play with toys anymore. They’re glued to their digital devices.
Because they don’t play with toys anymore. They’re glued to their digital devices.
So Bonnie’s concerned parents buy her frog-themed LilyPad (Greta Lee), a kid-friendly starter tablet. Sure enough – shortly after joining a chat group, Bonnie is invited to her very first sleepover with girls from her dance class.
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What’s unusual about this hand-drawn animated feature from France is that it tells an adult story from a child’s point-of-view. With the aid of French graphic artist Vincent Paronnaud, Iranian/French auteur Marjane Satrapi boldly details her very personal autobiography. Filmed primarily in stark black-and-white, except for brief scenes in color, it’s a monochromatic, simplistic narrative which delves into contemporary political history, including war, torture and execution. Persepolis is a stylized, sensitive 7, an often comic, yet heart-breaking, outspoken portrait of a young girl and a nation in turmoil.
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Where there’s a Will there’s a way. Will Harris that is. A small billy goat who has dreams of being the greatest of all time…in roarball – a high intensity, co-ed basketball league played by the most aggressive animals in the world. When a viral video of his skills surprisingly earns him a spot on his struggling hometown team, Will must now convince his squad that size doesn’t matter. GOAT is Rocky meets Space Jam. An inspirational tale about an underdog…err…goat…who just wants to be part of the herd. The PG animated sports comedy emphasizes perseverance, teamwork and trust.
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Almost ten years after the original Zootopia tackled prejudice and racial profiling in an animated Disney package, Zootopia 2 loses none of its guts or its bite. Again tackling heady themes within a shady land-grab conspiracy right at home in Chinatown, Zootopia 2 still brings all the fun, fur, and feels. As with the 2016 film, the marvel of Zootopia 2 is how it holds together so well, serving up lessons about tolerance and inclusivity without being clumsy or heavy-handed.
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Imagine a woman so badass that she creates films about sex, gender, generational trauma, and the dangers of authoritarianism as animated films. Imagine a woman growing up in Soviet Union-era Latvia in a family without connections eventually coming to the US alone, with only $300 in her pocket, building a career as an indie animation artist so unique and iconoclastic as to be worthy of auteur status. Well, imagine no further. That woman is award-winning artist, director, producer, and animator Signe Baumane, and she has a lot to say about style, motivation, ethics and good luck.
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Mention the pop culture juggernaut KPop Demon Hunters, and you will immediately be considered “skibidi,” “sigma” or “Gucci,” which is in old-fashioned parlance, ‘cool.’ Dive into this dynamic animated supernatural-action-musical that follows a fashionable girl group who tours the world and moonlights vanquishing demons through sword fights and their bravery. As a unique global and cultural hybrid, KPop Demon Hunters is redefining animation and its fan base continues to broaden. Wouldn’t it be a noteworthy turning point for a female-driven project to blaze another trail?
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