Darla-5

The *idea* was sound, but the plot needed much more work. It looked like an author's rough sketch transformed into a film. There were some clear "main" ideas, ideas that were surrounded by sketches that sometimes worked, sometimes confused, and sometimes flopped. Such as the neighbor boy. He lives "just up the road", but it is six months before he comes to meet the dogs--dogs that he has been dying to see. I *think* it's six months, the dogs start out as pups in the spring and are grown up by the fall, and the boy meets the dogs when they are adults. Then there's the love scene at the high school(?). He was supposed to pick her up "on Saturday night." Judging from the activities between that scene and the love scene, much more time has passed than just a few days! The movie is full of such gaffs. What this movie desperatly needed was an experienced writer that could take the main ideas and work them into something more cohesive, something that could project more emotion into the story. As it is, you don't feel much for the people and dogs because you are too busy trying to make the movie make more sence. An editor who had some experience would have helped too, part of the movie's problems were due to bad editing. There were a couple of quick scenes that made no sence whatsoever, as if there was something removed but not completely. A re-make would be welcome.

The night before I rented Fantasia, I watched a PBS special about Chuck Jones, the very busy animator for Warner Brothers. In this special, it was noted that his earliest work was considered too "Disney-ish" and he had to change the looks of his characters. Funny thing: the George Gershwin section of Fantasia 2000 looks *exactly* like a Chuck Jones animation from the 1960s!! What gives?

Who let Steve Martin in? I was terrified that he was going to be the one and only "narrator". Fortunately, the world was spared such a disaster!

A couple other sections were also retro, but not the Apprentice. That one is in a class by itself because it has more color, more dramatic shading than most American animators use today. It was made in a time where the artists could be artists and paint still by still. Time and cost restraints were not yet the great hobblers of talent. What a shame. What have we lost? Maybe there's hope: The Steadfast Tin Soldier was the closest thing to that old masterpiece on the entire film. More, sirs, more of that kind of work!!! Leave that retro stuff alone!!

There were lots of factual errors and gaffs aplenty, such as the on-and-off gravity inside the shuttlecraft once it got into space. But if you can put this kind of stuff aside and just enjoy a film, then I recommend it as a go-see. The medical examinations of the foursome is hilarious, especially the eye exam. There was one scene that reminded me of Slim Pickens, who was in a simular position in another movie. There was darkness at the end, but also hope. I can envision another moonshot occuring, just to make *sure*....'nuff said. See it! Enjoy!!