That all you got?
Yeah, it shows promise, but so far it looks sort of...eh.
That is the face of a man who just ate a kitten. Raw.
Brad (of Cinema Snob fame) got to see a free early screening of the movie. He thought it was nothing special. Not bad, just meh. Honestly, he thought the audience of screaming kids was much worse. 
The review (with spoilers) can be seen here.
That all you got?
Well of course, it's a movie dealing with some of the past few years's most popular songs and one classic (Dream On). That's good that it's just "Meh" though. Just another cookie-cutter animal world movie for kids, nothing horrible.
That is the face of a man who just ate a kitten. Raw.
In love with an Uptown Girl
I did not expect anything.
Please allow me to introduce myself, I am a man of wealth and taste. Nice to meet you, hope you can guess my name.
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
Honestly, Brad Jones's opinion of the movie being average is just steadily proving something that I've begun realizing about Illumination: after Despicable Me, they've lacked all drive to do something new and instead focus on being as commercial as possible.
Their films are bland with potentially interesting characters instead being used to sell toys and get the kids in the seats. Honestly, I don't even feel the urge to hate their films because majority of them are at best average and at worst The Lorax (and boy do I hate that film). They clearly put some effort in there. They put in effort to make distinctive character designs and some genuinely well done animation. But what angers me isn't that their film quality is average, it's that they're content with it and relish in it, putting in the bare minimum effort just so their films can get kids in seats and buy their merch.
This movie looks like it has so many interesting ideas that could potentially be used in interesting ways, but then so did The Secret Life of Pets, and that movie couldn't even bother putting effort into the obligatory "sad" scene. Just wait: in a few years, Illumination will slowly fizzle out into the minds of nostalgic past unless they can make something with effort put into it.
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
That all you got?
They only got on the map with DM in the first place and then started that stupid Minion craze. That's literally the only reason they're still relevant: they made one good movie and then kept it going first with a related sequel then just kicked it with the Minions.
That is the face of a man who just ate a kitten. Raw.
I don't think Despicable Me is a particularly great film myself.
It was ok, but honestly just felt like any listless 3D film to have come out in the post-Shrek animation environment.
edited 28th Nov '16 11:56:00 PM by Draghinazzo
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
Hell, I'm honestly skeptical of whether or not Illumination didn't know how successful they'd be when the first teaser for Despicable Me only focused on the Minions. They knew the Minions would be big right from the beginning.
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
It's the same reason Blue Sky is still making anything at all, and it's because of that increasingly silly Ice Age series they keep making sequels to which are only a hit because they're huge in foreign markets! This isn't just Illumination's problem.
That all you got?
Wasn't the most recent Ice Age movie the last one, though?
That is the face of a man who just ate a kitten. Raw.
I hope so. It was also the poorest-performing Ice Age film in America.
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
Blue Sky at least tries more. They made an amazing Peanuts movie and an actually decent Dr. Seuss adaptation. The Ice Age movies, however, are a big blight on their record. They're where Blue Sky has shown it's biggest failure, by relying on their bigger and more marketable hits like Ice Age and Rio.
Compared to Illuminate, I'd honestly take Blue Sky. Their original movies at least try. Epic was average as hell, but it had some semblance of effort in it. It tried. Peanuts tried and succeeded at being a good and entertaining adaptation. Horton Hears a Who tried more than The Lorax did. Secret Life of Pets didn't try, and Illumination doesn't try unless it's to ensure people will see their middle of the road mediocrity.
Also, note: by original, I mean not Ice Age or Rio. Kinda realized after typing this that two of the films I'd mentioned were adaptations.
edited 29th Nov '16 9:19:10 AM by AdricDePsycho
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
That all you got?
The first Rio was a fairly good movie, though, wasn't it?
That is the face of a man who just ate a kitten. Raw.
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
Rio was good, but it was kinda in the same league as Despicable Me or the first Ice Age. Entertaining and good, but nothing groundbreaking. What I can definitely praise it for is giving Jermaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords one of his first villain roles, because he's honestly super talented as a villain.
Rio 2 sucked, though.
edited 29th Nov '16 9:40:53 AM by AdricDePsycho
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Blue Sky made the Peanuts Movie, possibly my favorite movie they ever made so far along with the first Ice Age, but the Schulz estate only allowed them to make 1 Peanuts movie, and there are no plans for another.
From thief to hero
Part of me is starting to wonder if Illumination is going to be Deader Than Disco by the time DM 3 comes out...
Yeah, to be quite honest, I prefer Blue Sky myself, if only for the Peanuts Movie. (Though I also liked Rio, though I have to agree that the only real memorable thing about Rio 2 to me was that Harley Quinn-esque poison dart frog.)
edited 29th Nov '16 1:29:52 PM by kablammin45
"Don't worry, Lucian, we'll make it through this."
That all you got?
I haven't seen it but Roberto (Bruno Mars birb) is the thing that stuck out for me most XD
That is the face of a man who just ate a kitten. Raw.
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
I've seen bits and pieces of Rio 2, and it mostly felt incredibly abysmal from the parts I'd seen. I've seen the plot of it a thousand times before and I don't wanna see it again.
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Lack of creativity isn't just the studios' fault. They need money for new movies which means milking their successes for sequels, specially if your parent company demands it. Even Pixar had to break its no-sequel format so it could continue bringing us the good stuff. I'm Ok with this, I just ignore any movie I don't like.
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
Oh don't get me wrong, I understand that. My main issue is that Illumination are just really bland compared to the other animation studios and they don't take that many risks.
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Disasturbator
They can't afford to take risks,their films may be bland and uninspired but thats what sells,ultimately it's a sad state of things but it's how you stay in business when your not a huge animation studio worth billions.
New theme music also a box
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
I'm not looking for them to take risks, I'm looking for them to make something that isn't bland. Disney doesn't make bland movies, they make creative movies that make tons of money. Making something better does not equal taking a risk.
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Disasturbator
Your right, Disney doesn't make bland films,but they have produced some really crap films that they marketed enough that it appears 'good
New theme music also a box
Comparing any studio to Disney right now is bound to make said studio look very bad...Mickey Mouse has been crushing it recently, and even Pixar seldom manages to be on their level, Inside Out notwithstanding. Dreamworks best movies recently were sequels (KFP 2 & 3, HTTYD 2), while Disney pumps one original masterpiece after another almost effortlessly. Hell, Moana was far more hilarious than The Secret Life of Pets despite not even being created as a "funny" movie, nor being advertised as much.
But there are many things to say about Illumination. Sing will pale if compared to Zootopia, but it has more potential than Pets to be actually enjoyable. And it might have a cool soundtrack.
So... MUCH... Cringe. I saw this trailer alongside Kubo And The Two Strings (much better and enjoyable film, by the way). It was bottom of the barrel trash. Again, SO... Much... CRINGE.
edited 9th Sep '16 8:11:46 AM by Shokew
New Web Browser, same old Shokew.