Hoodwinked

It seems that I have gone on a binge of children's movies for my in-flight entertainment.

This is an animated feature all about Red Riding Hood and her Granny. It includes the Woodsman and the Wolf too.
But that's just about as far as it goes towards the well-known fairytale.

After the traditional start to the movie it begins a clever and very funny divergence into fairytale film noir. It brings in a whole cast of woodland characters, the funniest by far is Twitchy.

I cannot recommend this film enough. If you can see it in a theatre, then spend the money. If not, rent the DVD. I'm sure you will enjoy this. Don't expect flash graphics or any of the whizzbang stuff you get in the Ice Age or Shrek movies. It doesn't really need it. It's a good dose of humour and cleverness that carries this film.

The voices are well cast, especially Boingo who is voiced by Andy Dick. Normally he does nothing for me, but his voice work is so perfect for this character. David Ogden Stiers as Nicky Flippers is also a great choice, along with Glenn Close as Granny.

Trust me... YOU WILL ENJOY THIS !

It gets a 4 out of 5.

Nanny McPhee

Second choice of recent in-flight entertainment was this British update on Mary Poppins.

If you attach a prosthetic nose and some warty bits to Emma Thompson you have the very ugly and lumpy Nanny McPhee. Not quite your lovely smiling Julie Andrews copycat. But just like Mary Poppins, Nanny McPhee is magical. She uses her magic to teach the runaway children of the recently widowed Mr Brown lessons in consequences.

Into this mix you can add an austere and domineering ex-Mother-in-law who supports the family financially, played by the wonderful Angela Lansbury; the young, uneducated parlourmaid who loves the children and their father; and finally Mr Brown himself played by Colin Firth.

Imelda Staunton has a nice piece as the family cook and Celia Imrie as a prospective bride for the hapless Mr Brown, whose continued financial support from his mother-in-law revolves around providing a new mother for his children.

As this is a movie for children, the outcome is not really ever in doubt, but that doesn't take too much of the charm away from it. It was an easy movie to watch, and even though Colin Firth lapses completely into Mr Darcy mode at a couple of points, he and all the others give good, solid performances. Even the children manage to be endearing.

I'd rate this a 2.5 out of 5.

Olé!

A first choice on the in-flight movie selection recently.

This is a typical quirky French film, but with a Spanish turn. Starring Gerard Depardieu and Gad Elmaleh, it is about a French businessman and his Spanish chauffeur. The plot line is straightforward, with the chauffeur saving to build his home in Spain and the tycoon businessman treating him as a friend.

It is an odd relationship between the employer and employee, especially with the wives of each of the men. The tycoon is married to a hypochondriac, while the chauffeur's wife is the cook. The couples behave more like family and friends than employer/employee. Arguing amongst themselves and playing golf together.

It was interesting viewing for the most part, but it was pretty much a no-brainer of a storyline. But the French seem to make a living producing films that have odd endings. And this film was no exception.
It was somewhat a let-down and I'm completely sure that the idea could have been made more of.

In this instance, easy watching on an aircraft, but don't go out of your way for it otherwise.

A two out of five.