Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

For his third feature film, Satoshi Kon, decided to make what would be what is probably his most straightforward film. Rather than make a complex blurring the line between fantasy and reality movie like his previous Millennium Actress, and especially Perfect Blue, this film would be a basically straightforward Christmas tale, though not exactly a usual one. Though director Satoshi Kon has stated that this film was inspired by John Ford's Christmas western Three Godfathers, this is by no  means a remake as they are very different films.

What makes Satoshi Kon such a great filmmaker is that he uses animation to help tell his stories in ways that many animation directors don't. For instance in this film the style of animation can often times change depending on the mood it is trying to set. It can change from very realistic looking to very cartoony in no time. He also realizes how animation can allow him to play with pacing and cutting in ways live action wouldn't. This film can change from a slow pace to a very fast pace back to a slower pace, in a matter of seconds. This is something that would feel awkward n live action but works perfectly in animation.

All this works perfectly for the story of Tokyo Godfathers, as it is often times quite dramatic and funny at the same time. The combination of comedy and drama is abousultly perfect. The reason this combination works so well is that there are no real comedic scenes, The comedy comes out of the drama. The funny moments are also very dramatic, and emotional moments as well. What also makes all this work is that the characters are so engaging and you really care about them.

Tokyo Godfathers is not only an excellent movie, but is also one of the greatest Christmas films ever made. A must watch.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
The Animated Movie Guide by Jerry Beck

A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)

Fantastic Christmas film, is easily the best feature length version of The Flintstones. The idea of having the Christmas Carol portion of the film be a play the characters put on works perfectly. This allows the film to do both what makes A Christmas Carol great, and what makes The Flintstones great.

The film's director was Joanna Romersa. She had been an animator at Hanna-Barbera since 1966 on another Flintstones feature called A Man Called Flintstone. She had also done animation for the Disney features, Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty. Before this she had done directing for the Hanna-Barbera TV show Yo Yogi!, and for the Hanna-Barbera feature film, Scooby Doo in Arabian Nights. She is still working today. Her most recent work was as a timing director for the Disney TV show The 7D.

This is an excellent film. The Christmas Carol portion is one of the closet to the book film adaptions of A Christmas Carol. It recaptures the charm of that book much better than most adaptions. The more traditional Flintstones portion is also excellent, and recaptures the feeling of the series quite well.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Babes in Toyland (1934)

Babes in Toyland is one of the greatest Laurel and Hardy features. Often times features with comedy teams in the 1930's and 40's had to have some drama and musical numbers as well, because many felt no one would sit through a feature length comedy that were nothing but comedy. The problem with this is that too often these elements worked against each other. So when one of these films comes where the comedy, drama and music work together so well it definitely is a treat. One reason they work together so well in Babes in Toyland is that the comedy contributes to the story and the other way around as well.

Hal Roach (this film's producer) and Walt Disney were good friends. Because of this Walt allowed this film to use the song, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, from the Disney cartoon The Three Little Pigs. If you look closely a joke from that cartoon is also used in this film. He also allowed this film to feature Mickey Mouse as a character in Toyland. This Mickey Mouse was not animated, since this is a live action film. It was instead a monkey in a Mickey Mouse suit.  In Disney's 1961 film version two Laurel and Hardy impersonators appeared. To not be confused with Disney's movie this film was later renamed The March of the Wooden Soldiers. Laurel and Hardy were originally going to play Simple Simon and the pieman. It did not happen this way but in the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon, Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, the duo would be caricatured as Simple Simon and the pieman.

Hal Roach had much different plans for this film in the beginning. He wanted it to star all the studios stars, including the Our Gang kids, Thelma Todd and Charlie Chase. However no one but Hal Roach seemed to be pleased with the original outline for the film, and it was put on hold. When the idea was picked up again, all the other stars of the Hal Roach studios except Laurel and Hardy would not be in the film anymore. Everyone but Hal Roach became happy with this new film. Hal Roach would still like the original idea better.

One director of this film was Charley Rogers, whose directorial efforts are nearly all Laurel and Hardy films. He had also appeared in many uncredited minor roles including some in Laurel and Hardy films. The other is Gus Meins who was a major director at the Hal Roach studio, working mostly on Our Gang films.

The story stars Stanley Dum (played by Stan Laurel) and Ollie Dee (played by Oliver Hardy), who live with the woman in the shoe (played by Florence Roberts)  and her daughter Little Bopeep (played by Charlotte Henry). The woman in the shoe can't pay here rent and if she doesn't get the money soon Bopeep will have to marry the evil Barnaby (played by Henry Brandon), despite Bopeep being in love with Tom-Tom (played by Felix Night). Stan and Ollie try to do everything they can to help Bopeep, the woman in the shoe and Tom-Tom.

This film is very charming on all levels it is very funny, it has a good story, nice musical numbers, and a great atmosphere. The Bogey Land sequence is very atmospheric. The Stan and Ollie characters are just as likable as ever. Laurel and Hardy had appeared in three other comedy operettas at this time, Fra Diavolo, Swiss Miss and  The Bohemian Girl, and this is questionably the best one. Again though what makes this film so great is that all the different elements work together perfectly. None of them distract from the others, and they all are done well individually as well. Though the look of this film may be dated it is very charming and is a delight to see. This is a classic.


-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy by William K. Everson
Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies by Randy Skretvedt

The Gathering (1977)

This rare live action film from Hanna-Barbera is a very lovely film. Joseph Barbera stated in his autobiography, My Life in Toons: From Flatbush to Bedrock, he wishes Hanna-Barbera had done more live action films and with a movie like this it is easy to see why. This made for TV movie would rightfully go on to win an Emmy. The director of this film was Randal Kleiser, who is most remembered for directing Grease. The writer was James Poe who had written for such films as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and They Shoot Horses Don't They. 

The story is about a man named Adam (played by Ed Asner) who being a workaholic never spent the time he should have spent with his family. When Adam discovers that he doesn't have long to live he and his estranged wife Kate (played by Maureen Stapleton) invite their four kids over for one last Christmas. However he is very nervous about seeing his son Bud (played by Gregory Harrison), who he has not seen and years and the last time he saw him they had a very heated argument about the Vietnam War.

This was a very different film from what one expects from Hanna-Barbera. Not only was it in live-action, but it also was more for an adult audience than a family audience, though with the exception of very little very mild langue, there is not much inappropriate for kids. This is also a film that doesn't focus on comedy or action. This, for Hanna-Barbera, is a fairly straight drama. Despite these differences it really succeeds. It is very touching. The story can be quite emotional but it never feels forced. Ed Asner's acting is fantastic and really brings his character to life. Most of all though it is full of Christmas spirit, and can help make one realize just how important both Christmas and family are. This is a classic, and I can perfectly see why Joseph Barbera wanted to make more films like this (though I love Hanna-Barbera's regular stuff as well).

By the way notice how our good friend Yogi Bear makes a cameo as a stuffed animal.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
My Life in Toons: From Flatbush to Bedrock by Joseph Barbera
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076067/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4