The 2021 Animation Catch-Up Variety Hour Mark II! - Renegade Animation #47
Previously on Renegade Animation, Captain Kaye and The Animation Guru played ketchup with some of the films that slipped under their radar in 2021. And now… they’ve mustard up their thoughts on Rumble, and the Hilda movie!
How’s it going, fellow Renegades? ‘Tis I, THE DIRECTOR back once again to bring you guys the latest in the world of animation from everyone’s favorite dynamic duo that isn’t Batman & Robin, or Shepard and Tali, or Tom and Jerry — okay, at least everyone’s favorite dynamic duo in the podcasting world on Renegade Pop Culture!
If you recall, 2021 was a powerhouse of a year in terms of theatrical animation, and as such, there were some films that our Captain and our Guru just couldn’t tackle right away. BUT, they’ve been playing catch-up with some of the films that slipped them by, with last week’s subjects including Sing 2, and Belle! This week, there’s another big smattering of films, with Back to the Outback, Seal Team, Rumble, and my personal most anticipated animated film of last year: Hilda and the Mountain King! Plus, some thoughts on The Bob’s Burgers Movie trailer!
There’s a lot of stuff to talk about, and a lot of time to dive into it, so give it a listen, and meanwhile… I’ll kick it over to the Cap’n himself. TAKE IT AWAY! (and I swear, I won’t do any more puns like that again… that’s the job of one of the other films covered today)
BACK TO THE OUTBACK (2021)
“Ever heard of the Dreamworks Animation graveyard? It's a concept to describe all of the projects that were either abandoned by the studio or scrapped entirely. One of those projects was Larrikins, featuring music by Tim Minchin. I bring this up because a few traces of that project's DNA can be found here, such as the inclusion of Tim Minchin as the voice of Pretty Boy, a narcissistic koala bear who's become a global sensation. While this isn't a full blown musical, there are a handful of original songs, including the single ‘Beautifully Ugly’ performed by Minchin and Evie Irie. I didn't love this movie as a whole, and part of the reason is because I felt it lacked a strong identity. For better or for worse, this felt like a directorial debut. That being said, there's enough here to enjoy, such as a colorful cast of characters, some stealthily sharp dialogue, and a pretty action packed third act. The message about being true to yourself is good, if not a little cliché for your average family film. One of the strongest elements of the film are its voice cast, featuring some of Australia's finest talent such as Isla Fisher, Eric Bana, and Guy Pierce, as well as Jacki Weaver, Karl Urban, Angus Imrie, and Rachel House. I also really liked the score composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams, a member of Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions and an animation veteran. Back to the Outback is not a great movie, and lives in the shadow of a more interesting project, but was an enjoyable little adventure in its own right.“ - Captain Kaye
RUMBLE (2021)
“As much as I can't stand the way Vince McMahon is running WWE, I honestly think Paramount threw in the towel way too early by making this a Paramount+ exclusive. I'm not saying it's a great movie by any means, but it feels like one that would have played really well in front of a crowd. The story itself is pretty generic, it ultimately boils down to Rocky meets The Blues Brothers. However, the high concept of monster wrestling is so good that I'm honestly surprised it's taken this long for a film to take it to this logical extreme. I don't need every movie to reinvent the wheel in the story department, so long as the characters are well rounded. In this case, I'd say they are. The dynamic between Winnie Coyle and Steve/Rayburn Jr., voiced by Geraldine Viswanathan and Will Arnett respectively, is excellent. Both of these characters are dealing with daddy issues, and the film delivers a great message about carving out your own legacy. The one thing that rubbed me the wrong way, and I only bring this up because it's a WWE co-production, is the self-serious reverence for the ‘sport’ of wrestling. If this were about any other sport, I would understand the commentator's dismissiveness of Steve's combining dancing with wrestling, but those sort of theatrics wouldn't feel that out of place on an actual WWE program. I had a great deal of fun with Rumble, it's a breezy 90 minute romp with plenty of heart, humor, and dancing.“ - Captain Kaye
HILDA AND THE MOUNTAIN KING (2021)
“For the most part, everything positive that I've had to say about the series can be applied here. The characters are all endearing, the animation looks gorgeous, especially during the night time sequences. However, what stands out about the film is the central conflict. Given its massive scale, I can understand why this graphic novel was adapted into a movie as opposed to trying to fit within the series itself. There's a lot of thematic depth that needed room to breathe, particularly when it came to exploring the root of all conflicts, which is miscommunication. One thing I love about this is how the film isn't trying to put the blame solely on either the humans or the trolls, which is the kind of nuance you rarely see in most fantasy series. It isn't until they all come to an understanding that the conflict is resolved. I honestly don't have too much to complain about here. The film is well paced, and it teaches a genuinely great message for people of all ages. If there was one thing holding it back, it's that I can't in good conscience recommend this as a stand alone feature, as it's tied directly to the animated series. Fortunately, the show is only 2 seasons (with a third and final season on the way), and it's a fairly easy binge. If you're a fan of Hilda already, you've probably seen the film already. But if you're a newbie, there's no better time than now to get on board.“ - Captain Kaye
SEAL TEAM (2021)
“First off, as someone with an adoration for puns, the title of the film is perfect! That alone is a great indicator for what to expect throughout the 98 minute runtime. The best way I can describe Seal Team is that it's basically an 80's Saturday Morning Cartoon with modern sensibilities. Dumped onto Netflix at the end of 2021, I went into this with low expectations, but ended up loving every minute of it. The only reason I can't give it a 5/5 is because it's not exactly aiming to be high art. The story itself is armed to the teeth with tropes I've seen a thousand times before. However, literally everything else is great. This has an incredibly stacked voice cast, which includes Jessie T. Usher, J.K. Simmons, Kristen Schaal, Sharlto Copley, Matthew Rhys, Kate Micucci, Patrick Warburton, among others. The animation is a lot of fun, emulating the aesthetic of stop motion while throwing in occasional 2D elements for added effect. It's also just straight up hilarious, the film throws as many jokes as it can, while still leaving room for some genuine emotional beats. Last thing I have to say is that the music is awesome! It's just the cherry on top that completes this sugar rush of a film. If they ever continue the story of these characters in a traditional sequel or an animated series, I'll be there in a heartbeat!“ - Captain Kaye
Well! That’ll do it for this episode! Special thanks to Cameron for editing the audio this time! Keep a weather eye on on the horizon, as a new podcast episode’ll be coming around sooner than you may think…
