Congratulations SHREK!!!

[lrodk]

johare, you may be happy to know that Shrek 2 is coming to a theater near you alot sooner than most expected. Cinescape just interviewed Katzenberg, and when asked how the project was coming along, Katzenberg said, “Good. We’re storyboarding it and we have a great script and the cast is back, so we’re full steam ahead for the summer of ’04.”

 

[yensid1071]

I didn't like Shrek either. It just felt like Katzenburg and Co. used it to take shots at Disney. There were several things that bothered me in that movie. The king living in a castle that was set up like a medieval Main Street, complete with turnstiles; the 'annoying' king who never does anything truly evil, but gets eaten in the end (a bit extreme, no? Besides, Disney villians typically do themselves in) - he's just a pain in the rump; the vicious dragon who turns out to be friendly (been done - see a 1996 episode of Disney's "Quack Pack" for a nearly identical plot); and the blatant copy from Beauty and the Beast where the girl in Shrek transforms into her true form (not even a subtle similarity. It's just a flat copy. Hey, aren't there laws against that sort of thing?). I will say some parts of the movie were amusing. I like Mike Meyers and Eddie Murphy (lest we forget he was in "Mulan"). I just didn't like the movie. I think Katzenburg has taken advantage of his position and cashed in on it. He's supposed to be so powerful in Hollywood and this may be the result of it. Can I prove it? Nope. But it seems a bit too coincidental. It's no secret that he doesn't like Disney and is trying to beat them at their own game. But Disney can still claim a bigger prize. "Beauty and the Beast" was nominated for Best Picture in 1989. Not just best animated, but best overall. That's a big feather in their cap! Anywho, that's just my 2 cents worth. I'm sure others may disagree and others may agree. That's fine, I don't have a problem with that. Everyone is entitled their own opinion!
All in all, it just made me want to see "Jimmy Neutron".....

 

[lrodk]

But Disney can still claim a bigger prize. "Beauty and the Beast" was nominated for Best Picture in 1989. Not just best animated, but best overall. That's a big feather in their cap!

I'm not supporting Dreamworks, or even Shrek, which I didn't particularly care for. However, I must give credit where credit is due. Katzenberg was a major driving force behind Beauty and the Beast. The evidence was so overwhelming that Disney decided to settle out of court, lest they be forced to pay him past and future royalties on B&B indefinitely if the verdict were to go against them. He is a very hard working results-oriented guy with an "enormouse" ego. I don't condone his recent actions, in fact I think it's very childish. It may stem out of some sort of insecurity, but that's for someone else to figure out. The ball is in his court right now (not to mention Animation's first Oscar), proving that Disney made a grave error by underestimating his resolve. In other words, he's able to back up his actions. Remember, it was Eisner who started this fight in the first place. He has no one to blame but himself. He created this monster, or oger, or whatever you want to call him. Now he has to live with it.

 

[petula]

I didn't watch the oscars, and I only went to look at the winners yesterday when I remembered that there even WAS an animated category. It was disappointing to see Monsters inc. lose, even though i knew it could go either way. I figured they would either chose monsters because it was the best movie, or shrek because it was the more adult-appeal movie. I saw shrek and wanted to like it, but i couldn't. Every time i thought i was about to, something would happen to completely turn me off. Also, why are dreamworks computer characters always so ugly??? The antz were hideous, and now this! lol I thought i was going to have nightmares! (I have to give credit for Prince of Egypt, though, which was a beautiful movie.)

Jimmy Neutron BTW was a very fun movie, but definitely for the kids. I'd been waiting a long time to see a computer animated amusement park! Worth renting.

Oh, also...if lilo and stitch doesn't do it, my money's on treasure planet!

 

[Bob O]

Yoho Beautiful Mind was on the bubble because the movie was contrary to the book it was based on and intentionally didnt cover parts that dealt with nash's homosexuality and alleged anti-jewish statements which was all reported on drudges web site.
Monsters lost because the voters didnt believe it was the best animated movie, pure and simple and all the so-called anti-disney bias is just BS. But why is everybody talkins as if Monsters is a disney movie, its not and never has been. Disney is benefitting due to a contractual agreement but did nothing in regards to the making of the movie!!!! And none of disney's animated films of the year were of oscar caliber which is the sad thing. maybe this will help to push disney to improve their product which has gone downhill since katzenberg left!!!

 

[OnWithTheShow]

You know I think that Dreamworks wins a lot of awards and gains praise simply because they have Spielberg and control more Hollywood insiders. I am also a huge movie fan and LOVE almost every picture they have done. (although I found Shrek only average) Here is a brief summary of some of the Dreamworks projects I have enjoyed:

Band of Brothers
American Beauty
Almost Famous
Cast Away
Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Deep Impact
Galaxy Quest
Gladiator
Meet the Parents
The Mexican
Peacemaker
Road Trip
Saving Private Ryan

 

[yensid1071]

True, Katzenburg was a huge factor on B&B. He is very talented and can do great things when he puts his mind to it. I would like to see him make a movie where he didn't slam Disney. I honestly think it could be good. It would make Disney step up a notch. Instead, he comes across as petty, which has given me a dislike for Dreamworks in general. It's just a shame they (both Eisner and Katzenburg) can't put things like this behind and move along.
I'm not a fan of Eisner, either. Among other things under his reign, Disney has released a lot of animated sequels, especially lately. I recall that Walt never like to do sequels (I had read it went all the way back to the Three Little Pigs). He said he didn't like them and was more or less forced to do a Pigs follow-up. Now we're getting Cindrella, Peter Pan, Hunchback and others (some straight to video). I'm not sure how others feel about it, but it sorta cheapens the classic originals which were done decades ago (well, okay, Hunchback, Lion King and others were recent). Toy Story, also recent, seems to have held up well and is the exception (but that's Pixar). If Disney would focus on creating new stories and going back to the B&B or Lion King formula, they'll prove themselves again. Surely *somebody* there picked up on how Katzenburg did things! But until Eisner steps down or has a brainstorm, I don't see things changing for some time. I'll just look forward to Treasure Planet and hope Disney is headed in the right direction again!

 

[YoHo]

Bob O
I refuse to Drive this too much further into the ground. We must it seems agree to disagree.
The facts are that there was a smear campaign against a Beautiful Mind when those Dispairities were brought to light. Similarly, Shrek was the Darling of Hollywood.

The Oscars are voted on by insiders, I would have no problem with making the statement that 90% of the votes for every single category inclding the technical Oscars is driven more by bias then by the objective rating of the competitors. I've had to many people with inside knowledge indicate that this is the case for me to change my mind now.

Ultimatly, that means that the Oscar going to Shrek may not have anything to do with the relative qualities of the movie and it doesn't matter how often you point out that Monsters is not a Disney Movie, Sleeping Beauty Castle still pops up on the screen first and that's all that matters to many with axes to grind.

 

[Another Voice]

It is actually possible for grown-ups to think that ‘Shrek’ is a better movie than ‘Monsters, Inc.’ without being part of a vast sinister evil anti-Disney Alliance.

All these “insiders” also know that a vote against ‘Monsters’ was a vote against Pixar, not against Disney. The castle may be up front but everyone in town who actually made the movie. Besides if all these personal grudges were vile why did ‘Pearl Harbor’ actually win an award? Surely the Minions of The Dwarf would have avoided that, wouldn’t they?

Mr. Show – ‘Road Trip’!?

 

[Bob O]

So just because disney(actually pixar) loses it means their was a vast worldwide conspriracy against it and for Shrek???? So everybody who voted against the pixar movie was part of this vast conspriracy???? And if i make a movie and put a Sleeping Beauty's castle in front of it does that make it a disney moive??? Even if they werent involved at all in its creation???
So people pointing out inconstiencies in Beautiful Mind were all part of a "smear campaign"??? Another conspriracy in hollywood??? Or are people to be prevented from pointing when a movie takes great liberty with the true life story??? Im glad A Beautiful Mind won and thought Russell Crowe won(now why he didnt could be part of a conspiriacy) should have won but that doesnt mean that Ron Howard whitewashed the movie to make it a more commerical success!!!

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Hey come on Voice, every once in a while I like a movie that I dont have to think to much about and I can just laugh at the sheer stupidity of it.

 

[Testtrack321]

Sorry Bob O, the tribe has spoken.
Disney isn't loved in Hollywood. Many still don't like it. Lets not even get started on the various religious orginazations who boycotted it in the past years. Disney still dosn't get the recognition it diserves. Mabey it just seems more like a company instead of an imaginative group of people that it used to be. Dreamworks and Universal work hand in hand. They will take stabs at Disney, and they will be rewarded for trying to do it. But will they last at poking at Disney? No, I can't believe for a second Shrek 2 will be even half as good. Where will they pick up?

 

[Planogirl]

Monsters Inc was NOT a Disney movie. I have a feeling that most of these evil insiders that hate Disney so much are well aware of that and have no axes to grind with Pixar.

Plus I feel that Shrek II has a good chance of being a good movie as long as Katzenberg is involved. Whatever anyone may think of him and what happened between and Mike, he is very talented IMO and can certainly make a good movie. Particularly with all of the other former Disney imagineers now working at Dreamworks.

 

[Testtrack321]

If it walks, acts, and quacks like a Disney movie, it must be a Disney movie. No matter how you look at it, it is Disney. It's theres, along with all the promotions, rides, characters, and souviners accociated with it.

I don't hate Katzenburg, but nothing can come close to the orgional (gee, wonder why Disney hasn't figured this one out yet).

 

[Bob O]

So if fox makes a movie that is just like a disney movie, then it isnt a fox movie but a disney movie???? Disney hade no hand what so ever in the production of any of pixar's movies and when lassiter had a chance to join Disney he turned them down. Now if monsters inc hadnt been a success you wouldnt have the disney people trying to take credit for it would you??? As for Shrek 2 it may or may not be good but few sequels are as good as the originial.

 

[Testtrack321]

When it quacks like one, it is one. Pixar and Disney are two different companies, yes, but they make Disney movies. Just like Arrow Desing makes Disney rides. And if Monsters Inc wasn't a good movie, they would not have blamed it on Pixar, they would do the honorable thing and Atlantis it, despose of it in the most civial and fast means ever, direct to video/DVD release.

 

[JeffJewell]

Pixar and Disney are two different companies, yes, but they make Disney movies. Just like Arrow Desing makes Disney rides.

...Arrow also makes rides for a lot of other companies. It's the little extras that Disney adds that make the difference between a Six Flags Arrow ride and a Disney Arrow ride.

Disney added nothing whatsoever to Monsters, Inc., and in not too many years, Pixar's movies, quacking all the way, will belong to some other studio. Monsters, Inc. is a "Disney" movie in a legal sense, not a creative one.

The creativity Disney showed with Monsters, Inc. is precisely the same kind of creativity they show with the now inarguably "Disney" Power Rangers tv reruns... the ability to sign a check.

it just seems more like a company instead of an imaginative group of people that it used to be

Even in Hollywood, sometimes things are exactly as they seem.

Jeff

 

[Another Voice]

“If it walks, acts, and quacks like a Disney movie, it must be a Disney movie”

This is a pretty good thing because everyone in town seems to be able to make Disney movies these days except for The Walt Disney Studios. With the continued great box office for Fox’s ‘Ice Age’ and growing buzz about Dreamworks’ ‘Spirit’ and Pixar’s ‘Finding Nemo’ it looks like Disney animation has been able to find a good home after being evicted from Disney’s own lot.

Maybe things aren’t so bleak after all.


Mr. Show – I fully appreciate the enjoyment of bad movies (my DVD collection has been known to cause physical pain to many). But any film with Tom Greene automatically falls into the ‘Ghost World’ zone: it’s so bad it sails right through being “so bad it’s good” all the way back to being just bad again.*


'Ghost World' itself is a great movie; the boomarang concept is a line from it.

 

[YoHo]

I realize I may be milking the conspiacy angle a bit. but gosh if it isn't fun.

AV, please explain why there is buzz around spirit? the Preview Made me wretch!

It seemed to be Lion King Part 2 bland prarie expanse. Boring Boring boring. All from a preview. Or maybe its that bad preview = good movie deal? (good lord Ep 2 will be the worst movie in the history of time if that axiom proves true.)
Or maybe, its buzz has as much to do with Shrek as it does with the movie itself. Care to comment?

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Oh come on Voice you have to admit that Tom Green's zany post-modern antics at least make you think "how can anyone do this stuff and not be put in prison?". Did you see Leno when Tom ate the Emu egg? Geez, now thats comedy (at least in comparison to Bob Patterson).