A Dog's Purpose (2017)

A Dog's Purpose

A Dog's Purpose knows exactly how to tug on the heartstrings of animal lovers everywhere. It is heartwarming and hear wrenching all at the same time. It starts off by killing the main protagonist immediately. It is a stray puppy captured by the town's dog catcher. From there he is reborn ready to begin a new life.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron and the idea is that dogs are constantly reincarnated. Voiced by Josh Gad we first meet the puppy killed at the pound, he is then born again as Bailey, then as Ellie the police dog, then as Tino the corgi and finally Buddy the Saint Bernard. 

Since his first true taste of life comes in the form of Bailey, that is how the dog sees himself throughout his other lives and names. He remembers every event of his past lives. This causes him to question his purpose. He wants to know why he keeps coming back to life and what his goal is meant in each. He never truly learns why, but he learns he decides that the most important thing he has learned is live in the moment. The last words of advice from Bailey before the credits roll: "Be here now". If we lived as dogs do, we would appreciate all our experiences and live life to the fullest.

The bulk of the film follows Bailey and his boy Ethan (Bryce Gheisar as a boy, K.J. Apa as a teen) during the 1950's and 60's. We see all the events from Bailey's point of view including Ethan's relationships from his first love to his alcoholic father.

Maybe because it is seen from Bailey's point of view, things do not truly develop. We do see Ethan growing older and we see his relationships change, but the more difficult moments are solved quickly and life moves on as if those moments never occurred. 

Still it is a cute film, though that's about it truly has going for it. Josh Gad voices the dog well and we are truly transported to the dog's thoughts and feelings through him, but there are many moments which are left hanging simply because the dog doesn't know what's going on. Yes I want to hear Bailey's thoughts and questions as he explores the human world, not understanding why we do certain things, but I also want to know his impact on the human world and while we see him live these lives, except for Ethan, the his owners do not grow too much by his presence.

I almost did not see this film as the recent video of the german Shepard used for the "Ellie" sequence was seemed to be forced to do something against his will and this is behavior against animals that I will simply not tolerate. After doing research it seems that the video was edited to make it look like the animal was being abused and many people involved in the film have spoken against the leaked video's validity. Be aware that when you're watching the film you are going for the pure heart and soul of the dog and his life, story wise there is not much going for it.

La La Land (2016)

I fell in love with Damien Chazelle's Whiplash when that came out and I was looking forward to watching his next film venture.

The story is set in L.A. and it follows an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) and a jazz musician (Ryan Gosling) as they meet, fall in love and pursue their dreams with all the highs and lows that come with all of that. This is a film for all the dreamers out there.

This is a musical, but it is also an homage to the great musicals that came before it. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are not the best dancers or singers out there, but I thought they did a good job overall especially since I am not one to judge on those aspects. While I did enjoy it, I do think it is overrated and getting more attention than it truly deserves.

Still Chazelle proves he knows what he is doing. The cinematography is gorgeous. In fact, it is aesthetically pleasing in every way. Visually you cannot take your eyes off the screen. This is the third time Gosling and Stone have worked together so their chemistry adds a lot to the film as well. This is also a good time to remind everyone that a little (or a lot) diversity never hurt anyone.

Pete's Dragon (2016)

Pete's Dragon

Pete's Dragon premiered August of 2016 and quietly disappeared into obscurity. Of course it is a remake of the 1977 film and that one is not exactly a Disney favorite. I saw the original long ago and have absolutely no memory of it, but I did think the remake was quite endearing. I was curious about it, but it was never a film I rushed to watch. The story follows Pete (Oakes Fegley) as he lives deep in the forest with his dragon, but when a logging company begins to destroy the forest he comes in contact with park ranger Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), her fiancé Jack (Wes Bentley), his daughter Natalie (Oona Larence) and Grace's father Meacham (Robert Redford).

Pete's Dragon

The film takes its time as it introduces each of the characters and establishes the relationship Pete has with his dragon. The dragon is real and of course when he is discovered, people only want to catch him to cash in on his existence. Elliot, the dragon, is friendly and poses no danger to anyone except those who threaten Pete's safety. The dynamic is an interesting one as Pete wants to stay with Elliot, but after reuniting with a family years after he lost his, Pete realizes how much he yearns to stay with humans. The main conflict comes from those who see a potential way to make a quick buck without truly thinking about the feelings of those affected.

Another relevant film to other issues going on in today's world. This film does not have a traditional happy ending, but it's still happy nonetheless. Goodbyes are hard and a part of life and this is not a bad lesson to learn.

School of Rock the Musical

School of Rock the Musical Poster

I admit I was skeptical when I heard School of Rock was being turned into a musical. When in New York I saw this my last night there and it absolutely rocked! Andrew Lloyd Webber knew exactly what he was doing. Seriously, what a fun night.

School of Rock the Musical is based off of the 2003 film of the same name. I have yet to see any of other of Webber's works, but I have definitely heard of them. Of course the man knows how to make a musical out of anything.

This particular musical is playing at the Winter Garden Theatre and now stars Eric Petersen (taking over for Alex Brightman). This musical is pure fun from the moment it begins to the moment it ends.

The story follows a wanna be rock star as he pretends to be a substitute at a prestigious private school. The first half follows him as he realizes the kids can play music and realizing the kids can be the band he desperately needs to compete.

It follows the film well, but of course there are changes that have to be made to accommodate for the stage. We get more of a glimpse into the kids' struggles and it adds a nice touch.

The kids are uptight and act more like adults than their substitute, but he teaches them to have fun and live to the fullest. The cast is comprised of talented young kids who actually play their instruments every single performance.

Of course it's hard to top Jack Black's Dewey Finn, but Eric Petersen takes quite a swing at it. All my respects to this man as he is clearly exhausted at the end of the performance.

I have no idea how they did it, but they made a musical out of the film and it transitioned to the stage wonderfully.

School of Rock the Musical logo

As I mentioned, the musical is faithful to the film, but of course some of the pop culture references were updated for times sake. The kids are of course insanely talented. They are singing, dancing and playing their own instruments. They are memorable. My personal favorite was Rachel Katzke as Katie. The bass was about as big as her, but she killed it. (As a tuba player, there I also have a soft spot for females who play anything with a bass clef).

Of course there is only person who truly carries the show. The one who is in it from the moment curtain rises to the moment the final encore happens.

Of course Jack Black had plenty of time off in between takes. Mr. Petersen has only intermission and as any actor knows, intermission is never nearly long enough. He never overshadows his younger counterparts, instead he balances them out perfectly.

Petersen is incredibly passionate. He lives and breathes for rock music. The children willingly join him mainly because doing otherwise would be boring.

The other adult who stands out is the Principal Mullins (Jenn Gambatese). She is slightly different that the film version, but still provides comedic relief.

This time the romance is between her an Dewey and it works. The children also get more focus and we get a glimpse into their home lives and we understand why they would be so willing to be a part of this band.

School of Rock the Musical is great mainly because is everyone having fun. Every single actor on the stage is having the time of their lives and it is infectious. You want nothing more than to stand up and rock out with them like you would at a real rock show.

Most of the songs are catchy, but the most memorable are "Stick it the Man", "You're in the Man", and of course "School of Rock" which is also in the film. As someone who loves rock music it was cool to see a show based around rock and have all the songs have a rock influence. It is different from Webber's usual stuff.

A cool Easter egg is when one of the students, Summer, sings "Memory" from Cats for her audition into the band. Sure this bit is in the film, but the fact that Webber kept this is fun.

Webber wrote Cats and is his longest running musical. Fun fact, as of this month he will have four shows running consecutively on Broadway. If you want to watch one and you're not sure which one, definitely check out School of Rock the Musical.

Aladdin on Broadway

Aladdin

There have been a slew of Disney films that have gotten the Broadway treatment. Of those, only three have been on my to watch list (although I gladly would have watched any of them if the opportunity presented itself).

While in New York I finally got to watch one that had been on my list since it opened. Aladdin opened back in 2014 and is directed by Casey Nicholaw. There were some changes that had to be made to work on stage, but it was glorious. The technical aspects alone made it worthwhile.

I previously saw Mr. Nicholaw's work last year when I watched Tuck Everlasting and that was good as well, so it was interesting to see another adaptation he directed come to life. The score is the same as that of the film, but there are new songs that did not make the film's final cut. The choreography was stunning and of course extravagant.

The musical is based on the 1992 film of the same name, and the most memorable character is Robin Williams' Genie. In the musical, James Monroe Iglehart's Genie is just as memorable. He is a showstopper. He is hilarious and he also adds an incredible amount of sass to Genie. Iglehart is having the time of his life on stage and you can not help but smile whenever he is on stage.

Iglehart's introduction comes with "Friend Like Me". It is a spectacle like no other. There are pop culture references, dancing, magic tricks and it all takes place in the glittering Cave of Wonders.

Adam Jacobs in Aladdin

 It is the most extravagant of the musical numbers and that is saying a lot. All of the numbers are almost over the top and fun to watch, but at the core remains the story. Jasmine (Courtney Reed) is expected to marry and her father, the Sultan (Clifton Davis) is determined to find her the perfect husband.

Jasmine wants to make her own decision as to who she gets to marry and Reed plays her faithfully to her film counterpart.

Frustrated, Jasmine escapes the palace to see life outside of the royal walls. While in the marketplace she meets Aladdin (Adam Jacobs). He is cute and oh, so charming. He and his human friends (there is no Abu in this version) live on the streets and fight every day to survive.

Jafar (played by Jonathan Freeman who also voiced the character in the film) finds out Aladdin is his "diamond in the rough" and goes in search for him with the help of Iago (also a human played by Don Darryl Rivera) in order to send him into the Cave of Wonders.

The biggest flaw is that, with the exception of "Proud of Your Boy", the songs that do not have the extravagant aspects are easily forgotten. "A Whole New World" is still great. It is absolute magic to see the carpet flying along the stage. It is absolutely breathtaking.

I waited quite a bit to see Aladdin and it was worth the wait. I did miss some of the elements of the film that could not be translated to the stage, but overall I am glad my first Disney Broadway show was Aladdin. It was fun and of course, magical.