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Judy Thorburn's Movie Reviews

The Wild

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Judy Thorburn

The Wild

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Flick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha ChemplavilFlick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha ChemplavilFlick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha ChemplavilFlick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha ChemplavilFlick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha Chemplavil

DISNEY’S “THE WILD” OFFERS ANOTHER COLORFUL, ANIMATED, FUN ADVENTURE

If the premise of Disney’s latest computer animated film seems familiar that is because we’ve seen it played out before in films like Matagascar and Finding Nemo. You know, the one about a little animal creature that runs away from his safety nest only to have his friends and/or family embark on a dangerous rescue mission to secure his return. Well, here we go again with The Wild, which turns out to be much a better film than Madagascar. The Wild offers some variation on the narrative and introduces a new assortment of funny and likeable animal characters that take audiences on a similar adventure from New York to the ”wild” of an African jungle.

The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha Chemplavil, The Wild, Kiefer Sutherland, Eddie Izzard, James Belushi, Janeane Garofalo, William Shatner, Don Cherry, Colin Cunningham, Clinton Leupp

An impressive list of actors do a terrific job lending their voices to the mix of creatures with distinct, and very humanlike personality traits. Leading the cast is Kiefer Sutherland (Samson, the respected lion leader) along with Greg Cipes (his depressed son, Ryan), Jim Belushi (Benny, Samson’s best friend, a fast talking squirrel), Janeane Garofolo (Bridget, the object of Benny’s affection who happens to be a quick witted, sweet giraffe), Richard Kind (the loveable, helpful, but dim witted anaconda), Eddie Izzard (Nigel, the sarcastic British accented koala bear) and William Shatner (Kazar, the wicked wildebeest leader). Excluding Kazar, all these animals reside at the New York City Zoo where Samson is the featured “mane” attraction.

The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha Chemplavil, The Wild, Kiefer Sutherland, Eddie Izzard, James Belushi, Janeane Garofalo, William Shatner, Don Cherry, Colin Cunningham, Clinton Leupp

The plot unfolds when Ryan, sulking that he is unable to roar like his father, jumps over the fence seeking refuge in the back of a truck, unaware that he’s put himself in a green crate that is on its way to be shipped to an unnamed African island. When Samson gets wind of his accidentally stowed away son, he and his motley crew of buddies take off to find Ryan, and in their journey come across other colorful creatures of the wild that include a pigeon with an East Indian accent, a jungle rat, a hippo and a couple of secret agent chameleons.

The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha Chemplavil, The Wild, Kiefer Sutherland, Eddie Izzard, James Belushi, Janeane Garofalo, William Shatner, Don Cherry, Colin Cunningham, Clinton Leupp

An excursion to the big city first finds the hopeful rescuers being cornered by a gang of rabid dogs and escaping into the sewers of Manhattan, where they come across two helpful alligators that lead them in the right direction, what they so comically describe as the “green lady with spikes on her head”.  Landing on a tugboat, it’s off to a far away jungle with accommodating flying Canadian geese helping to lead the way.  However, upon arriving on the island they discover an adversary in Kazar, the leader of some dancing wildebeests, who is sick and tired of being at the bottom of the food chain and thinks eating a lion would ascend them to the top. It’s not hard to guess as to whom they’ve captured to fill the bill.  Yup, it’s Ryan and its up to his devoted father and loyal sidekicks to save the day. Meanwhile, an amusing sideline development has Nigel mistaken for the great “Him”, the fulfillment of a prophecy that has a creature (which was really just a stuffed kola bear doll that fell out of a plane) coming down from the sky to lead his pack.  Needless to say the group of zoo escapees learn a thing or two about what its really like trying to survive out in the wild.

The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha Chemplavil, The Wild, Kiefer Sutherland, Eddie Izzard, James Belushi, Janeane Garofalo, William Shatner, Don Cherry, Colin Cunningham, Clinton Leupp

The Wild is evenly paced, entertaining, and filled with hilarious situations, jokes, gags and very funny banter that will garner riotous laughs from adults and affectionate giggles from kids.  Without a doubt Disney can add this film directed by Oscar nominated visual effects veteran Steve “Spaz” Williams, to their growing list of visually stunning computer-animated films that show amazing attention to detail.  While the basic storyline is nothing new, The Wild delivers some moral lessons, and a nice message about finding your inner “roar”’; i.e. the importance of realizing it is what’s inside that determines who you are.  So, while The Wild is really not so, it’s an appealing, fun and yes tame way to spend a short time away from the jungle out there.

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