Napoleon Dynamite Animated Series

Hmm… Seven years after the movie was released, Fox Broadcasting Company is planning an animated series based on  Napoleon Dynamite.  It will be written and produced by Jared Hess, Jarusha Hess, and Mike Scully.  The actors from the movie are going to provide the voiceover for the series.  I’m curious what else there is to say about this story, so I’ll probably check it out when it is released.

In the meantime, here’s a trailer Fox released.

Movie Review: WALL-E

Earth is overrun with garbage and is uninhabitable.  WALL-E’s job is to compact garbage and stack it into towers (WALL-E = Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class).  He spends his night finding uses for interesting items he finds during the day and watching the musical, “Hello Dolly.”  Even though he is a robot, the monotony, isolation, and loneliness show on his little robot face.

Then, a visitor.  EVE is left there by a spacecraft, apparently on a scouting mission, but what is she looking for? WALL-E’s attempts to befriend her are futile – she’s on a mission! EVE spots one of WALL-E’s finds and that’s when the real adventure begins.

Fast forward to The Axiom: Weeble-like people in a uniform, commercialized world, drinking their meals in a cup (which look curiously like Slurpees – Yay!).  This is a world where everyone and everything literally stays within the lines (ON the line, to be exact). WALL-E becomes an unlikely hero for those who choose to not stay on the line.

This movie is well done: touching, funny with a clever plot, and it is a great movie to watch with your kids.  They will love the pretty colors and the slapstick comedy (WALL-E and other characters fall and bump into things a lot).  Plus, there’s an interesting enough storyline and humor (and pretty colors) to keep the adults interested.

After seeing this movie, I regret having not seen it in a theatre – watching the DVD at home did not do the amazing visuals justice. It’s Pixar, so I expected superior graphics and they did not disappoint.  I really can’t say enough about the animation – the space scenes were particularly spectacular. At the beginning of the movie, there’s not much dialogue, which made the soundtrack all the more important.  Most of the music is by Thomas Newman and it is at times sweeping, whimsical, airy, and jazzy. Well done!

Voice actors include Ben Burtt, Jeff Garlin, and Fred Willard. I highly recommend this movie and give it four Slurpees out of five.

* WALL-E * Director: Andrew Stanton * Rated: G * Time: 98 minutes * Soundtrack * Trailer *