The female comedy dream team is back! Poehler and Fey star in Sisters. A film based on two, you guessed it, sisters as they make the most of their childhood home before their parents sell it. The film opened the same weekend as Star Wars and, obviously didn't match the success of Disney's latest venture into space but, earned a cool $105 million. The film was met by mixed reviews from both critics and general audiences, bringing into question whether or not the chemistry the actresses share is enough to make a good film. I'm actually surprised that Tina and Amy decided to make another film with the two of them as the leads considering how awful their last film, Baby Mama, was. I was massively underwhelmed by Baby Mama and had come to terms with the two appearing together as minor characters or on SNL in the future. But, like I said, they are back and giving it another go!
Before I delve into my analysis of the film's story and my opinion on that, let's discuss one of the benefits of a film like this. When popular comedians/actresses unite for their own film there are bound to be some hilarious and surprising casting decisions. Maya Rudolph joins the cast as a childhood enemy, James Brolin plays the sisters father and in a very surprising decision the film also features John Cena (cue horns). I also always enjoy Brian d'Arcy James in pretty much every role he's ever played so it was nice seeing a glimpse of him. Dianne Wiest plays the girls mother and does so with grace. I find Wiest fits perfectly into maternal roles and I've always enjoyed watching her performances. The casting for any film like this has the scope to be a little more playful. What really comes across in this film is the chemistry amongst the cast. Good on screen chemistry can make up for a multitude of mistakes but the story has to carry itself a little too otherwise the whole film falls flat.
We quickly learn that Fey's character, Kate Ellis, is a bit of a mess. Unable to hold down a job, unable to respond like an adult to unwanted news and unable to Mother her child properly. Poehler plays, Maura Ellis, a nurse who seemingly has her shit together and is the polar opposite of her sibling. This seems to be in reverse compared to their previous film in which Poehler was the mess and Fey was the put together one. Once Kate realises her parents are selling the house - by seeing the not so subtle 'sale' sign in the front yard, her plans of moving to Orlando with her daughter, Hayley, in the hopes of a fresh start are ruined. And surprisingly, Maura doesn't take the news well either having initially thought that the sale was just an idea her parents were considering. After reminiscing whilst reading their childhood diaries, the girls decide to throw a house party so that Maura can finally have 'her night' in the house and so that Kate can relive better days. From here, you can pretty much imagine how the rest of the film unfolds.
Personally, I think this duo is better off hosting award shows and appearing on SNL. Although the movie was funny and much better than I had expected it to be. Had they skipped Baby Mama and dove straight into this film, I think I would have a lot more faith in the duo's ability to carry a film. There were little twists throughout that were not entirely predictable and the film had a good pace. In fact, although I didn't laugh out loud, the film is probably one of the funniest I have seen in the last five years. It was easy viewing and I don't regret the time I spend watching it. Films like this will never win any awards outside of the MTV network productions but every now and again, you have to embrace trends and embrace what is popular in film. And for the last few years the popular thing is party films. Whether you love them or hate them, they are here to stay.
Zootropolis or Zootopia as it's known in the states, is Walt Disney Animation Studios newest venture. Premiering in the UK at GFF in February before a general release later in March, the film is already tipped to be as big as Frozen with the critical success of Inside Out. Currently the highest grossing film of 2016, Zootropolis has been praised by the critics and has been well received by the masses. Many audiences noted that the film's topical themes of prejudice and stereotypes are painfully relevant in today's society.
The film centres on a world where animals walk, talk and have jobs like humans. Judy Hopps, a rabbit police officer, is trying to make a name for herself outside of parking duties. With the help of Nick, a fox with a criminal past, Judy begins the search for Otterton. Twists and turns are abundant throughout and include unlikely friendships, a dirty judicial system and a mystical flower causing some unwanted side effects. From there the film is a hilarious, anthropomorphic crime tale which culminates in a happy ending true to Disney's tried and tested format.
The voice actors in Zootropolis were certainly some of the film's best features. Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Octavia Spencer, Shakira and Kirsten Bell are some of the established names who have tackled a furry creature on behalf of Disney. Normally when a cast list is this well established, the film is trying to draw in as large an audience as possible using the celebrities as bait. However, now having seen the film, I believe the actors truly enjoyed the script and wanted to be a part of it.
The script was incredibly well written. Not only did the entire film have an underlying social commentary but it managed to have real moments of comedy genius. In particular, the scene in the DMV with Flash the Sloth had our entire audience in stitches. The film didn't follow typical the typical disney format and managed to maintain the strength and integrity of it's lead female character, Judy. Zootropolis had subplots throughout which made the film and the world in which it was set seem more realistic and well rounded instead of having everything revolving around the main characters for the full hour and a half.
Disney films whether they are animated or not, can often be predictable. With such an array of characters to play with and with a criminal scheme with twists and turns, Zootropolis was far from predictable. I don't think this film was as good or as thought provoking as Inside Out, however, the film has already outsold Deadpool and Batman VS Superman so there might still be time for Zootropolis to snowball into the phenomenon that Frozen has become.
