I didn’t think Pixar ever would top 2015’s marvelous Inside Out, with its clever blend of humor, pathos and gentle social commentary, wrapped into a wildly imaginative premise.
 |
| Having unknowingly violated the all-encompassing "pond rules" that govern this diverse collection of animals, Mabel — her mind currently occupying the body of the cute robotic beaver about to become a bear's lunch — is brought before the community's king. |
You’ll laugh, cry, nod and marvel at this film’s similarly ingenious story, which also contains a slyly subversive message.
A brief prologue introduces animal-loving Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) as an adolescent, during a failed attempt to free her school’s numerous classroom pets from their dismal lives of relentless poking and prodding. Banished for the rest of the day, then dumped into the sympathetic embrace of her beloved Grandma Tanaka (Karen Huie), the angry, humiliated little girl can’t understand why people don’t realize she was doing a good thing.
Grandma Tanaka walks her to a large rock in a tranquil glade, which overlooks a pond.
“Be still,” her grandmother instructs. “Listen ... and watch.”
The silence soon is broken by bird songs and the hum of insects. The foliage rustles, as deer walk past; beavers happily work on the large dam that has created this pond.
The moment is magical, transformational. Many more such visits follow.
The story then flashes forward. Mabel, now 19, is an equally impassioned college student who constantly locks horns with Beaverton’s grandstanding, development-obsessed “Mayor Jerry” (Jon Hamm). He’s promoting his re-election bid with the promise of a new stretch of overhead highway that’ll improve commute time “by minutes.”
The final portion also will destroy Mabel’s beloved glade, along with its many wonderful memories. Mayor Jerry can get away with this, because the pond, dam and its wildlife — particularly the beavers — are long gone.
Mayor Jerry taunts Mabel, giving her 48 hours to somehow lure the beavers back, knowing full well that’s impossible.
Savvy viewers will wonder why all the animals left.
Coincidentally, one of Mabel’s college professors — Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy) — is similarly intrigued. She and her colleagues — Nisha (Aparna Nancherla) and Conner (Sam Richardson) — have perfected a way to “hop” human consciousness into robotic animals that are lifelike enough to be accepted by their wildlife counterparts, thereby allowing direct communication with them.
Mabel discovers this by accident, and — to Dr. Sam’s horror — “hops” her mind into the body of an adorable robotic beaver. She escapes the lab, heading for the former glade.
It doesn’t quite work out that way.
She instead winds up in a different section of the surrounding forest, with its own huge pond. But she does find beavers, led by the jovial, larger-than-life King George (Bobby Moynihan), who “rules” all local mammals. Although giddy over her ability to communicate with them, she’s also horrified to confront the implacable realities of “pond rules” ... which means that when a carnivore gets hungry, a critter gets eaten.
Some, such as a lethargic, slow-witted beaver named Loaf (Eduardo Franco), accept this as their role in a possibly brief life.
Chong and Andrews establish all of these details with hilarious, rat-a-tat ferocity, notably when Mabel almost is devoured by Ellen (Melissa Villaseñor), a menacing, frequently grumpy bear who (eventually) proves to be surprisingly community-minded.
A few escapades later — I won’t spoil the delightful details — Mabel persuades King George and his beaver buddies to rebuild their dam in the glade. But the nefarious Mayor Jerry isn’t about to let that happen...
This portion of the story reaches what feels like a finale (of sorts) barely midway through the film’s 105-minute length, at which point you’ll wonder, Now what?
Fear not: Chong and Andrews take us on an even wilder ride during the second half, which involves countless sight gags, numerous additional characters, shocking betrayals, a new and much more menacing villain, and plenty of “hopping” by various individuals.
Everything builds to the story’s cautionary moral: We survive by working together, or we perish separately. And the “we” means humans and all members of the animal and plant kingdoms.
Curda is delightful as the passionate, hard-charging and often reckless Mabel, who nonetheless learns from her mistakes. She also is appropriately chastened by all manner of setbacks, but then equally fired up while finding fresh solutions.
Moynihan’s King George embraces each day with over-the-top enthusiasm, and quickly bonds with beaver Mabel. He prides himself on knowing everybody’s name, which he rattles off during one of the film’s countless gags.
Hamm makes Mayor Jerry a nauseating, preening narcissist who’s nonetheless beloved by his constituents ... although nobody admires his perfectly coiffed hair and matching public persona more than Mayor Jerry himself. But he also has a hidden, darker side, and is secretly infuriated by the one thing he can’t control: Mabel.
Additional key critters include the paranoid, temper-prone Bird King (Isiah Whitlock Jr.); the imperious Insect Queen (Meryl Streep); the cold, croaking Amphibian King (Steve Purcell); the stern and long-winded Fish Queen (Ego Nwodim); the mocking, terrifying Reptile Queen Sisters (Nichole Sakura); and Tom (Tom Law), a tiny lizard whose insatiable curiosity frequently gets him into trouble.
(Along with two more unexpected characters ... but I ain’t spilling those beans.)
All of them are animated in a slightly exaggerated style that emphasizes their unique personalities, and the overall color choices — notably the charming wildlife settings — are remarkably lifelike. Mark Mothersbaugh’s energetic score flawlessly complements the story’s frequently rapid-fire pacing; his themes share space with fleeting “music jokes” and well-placed anthems such as SZA’s “Save the Day.”
All in all, this film is absolutely perfect ... and I don’t use that word lightly.
Do hang around for the end credits. In addition to plenty of cute bits during the initial scroll, you’ll be rewarded with a delightful cut-scene.
No comments:
Post a Comment