Smallfoot Movie Take

What if the Yeti wondered about humans?

You have Smallfoot.

The movie arrived on December 11. It’s on Blu-Ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD, and Digital. The Digital format appeared early on December 4.

LEGEND

Sure, it’s not Disney. It’s not Pixar. It’s not Minions. But Smallfoot fared out well for Warner Animation Group. It’s the company’s third biggest movie behind those crazy LEGO and LEGO Batman.

Smallfoot notched over $213 million worldwide. It also managed a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Enough to squeak in with a “Certified Fresh” result.

The voice cast includes the likes of Channing Tatum and James Corden. Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Danny DeVito, Gina Rodriguez, Yara Shahidi, Ely Henry, and Jimmy Tatro.

The story is inspired by the book ‘Yeti Tracks’ by Sergio Pablos. Karey Kirkpatrick is the director. The screen story was written by John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, and Kirkpatrick.  

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes. 
It would be worth a look for kids and for the kids who are young at heart.

The biggest surprise for me was how much of a musical the movie turned out to be. It is something that never really got highlighted in any of the commercials. The music will be subjective for most people. Are they memorable songs? There's tough competition out there. It’s fun to hear Channing Tatum and Zendaya sing and Common rap though.

If I had to pick a favorite, I would probably go with Niall Horan’s ‘Finally Free’ which gets played over the end credits.

A community of Yetis believes that humans don’t exist. One day Migo - Channing Tatum - has an encounter with a human or smallfoot. Nobody seems to believe him except for a select few. He sets out to prove he isn’t crazy. That in a nutshell, spins most of the adventure.

Like a lot of animated movies, the story doesn’t stretch out too long. The timeclock ticks to around 96 minutes including credits.

It’s silly, cute and funny. And I may not remember all the Yeti names, but the movie doe has a timely message on curiosity, truth, and integrity. It may be a tough battle going up against Disney or Pixar, but it’s a fun ride that was worth taking at least once.

You may even want to be adventurous and pick the Yeti Set Go Sing-Along feature for a second viewing.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

The DVD only had the Yeti or Not, Here They Come! Imagining Smallfoot.

Yeti Set Go Sing-Along -

This may be a feature best suited for kids. It’s a more interactive way to watch the movie. There are quotes highlighted throughout the movie, facts pop up and lyrics to help you sing-along to songs. You may even want to do the Smallfoot shuffle.

Super Soozie Mini Movie - (2 minutes, 22 seconds)

- A fully animated, non-speaking story of Super Soozie. Cute, overall.

Migo in The Secret of the Yeti Stones (3 minutes, 43 seconds.)

- If you weren’t paying attention. This basically gives a recap of things that happened in the movie.

Yeti or Not, Here They Come! (5 minutes, 58 seconds)

- The behind-the-scenes-reel. Since this is Warner Brothers, you may notice some of the animations have a Looney Tunes style.

Music if you are in the mood to watch them on a different screen. They can all be found online, too.

Niall Horan ‘Finally Free’ (3 minutes, 26 seconds)

Cyn ‘Moment of Truth’ (3 minutes, 58 seconds)

Wonder Life: In 28 Languages, Sung Around the World (3 minutes 11 seconds.)

- The unique spin is you get to hear the song sung in 28 different languages

Theatrical promos

- They last about 20 seconds to a minute. From ‘Don’t use your cell phone’ to movie segments. The most interesting is the Mignada.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

The Nun: Conjuring Start

It all started with The Conjuring in 2013.

Have you been paying attention?

The creepy doll featured in that movie became a spin-off in Annabelle (2014).

Now, it’s The Nun. It doesn’t even count as the first time caught on film. The credit goes to The Conjuring 2 (2016). It's another spin-off.

The Nun debuted on December 4. It’s on the usual suspects of Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD, and Digital. The Digital appeared early on November 20.  

UNIVERSE

New Line Cinema has grown the initial movies into a ‘Conjuring’ Universe.

It’s not big like Marvel, but it’s still expanding for the time being.

The Conjuring will soon have a third film. So will Annabelle. There have been rumblings of a new story called The Crooked Man (another The Conjuring 2 appearance) is in the works, but it is not yet in production.

At this is writing, there are five official films within this ‘Conjuring’ Universe. On the worldwide stage, The Nun is actually the biggest at the box office with over $365 million. (The Conjuring wins the North American battle with the highest total at over $137 million.)

Interestingly, while The Nun takes the worldwide win, it only garnered a measly 27% on the Rotten Tomatoes rating scale.

Corin Hardy directed from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. The story credit goes to James Wan and Dauberman. The cast includes Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, and Jonas Bloquet. There’s also Charlotte Hope, Ingrid Bisu and Bonnie Aarons as The Nun. 

(Yes. The Nun is played by a real person.)

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes - but I would say more for just the curious horror fans though. Especially for those who have seen the two Conjuring films.

The Conjuring was one of the most-buzzed horror films of 2013. It made over $319 million worldwide on just a budget of $20 million.

I didn’t find the movie particularly scary. It was great on the creepy atmosphere and suspense.

The Nun is meant as an origin story of the demon nun - also known as Valek. The tale is set in 1952, which makes it the earliest setting for these five movies.

A young nun takes her own life in Romania. A priest (Demian Bichir) and a novitiate (Taissa Farmiga), soon ready for her final vows are sent to the Vatican to investigate. To uncover the secret of the abbey, will not be simple.

The film maintains the creepy atmosphere rather well and there are some decent jump scares. It’s the kind of movie that manages to keep you on edge.

As a standalone movie, The Nun is not a game-changer of the horror genre. It is beaten by the likes of The Quiet Place. (Which I think takes the crown for the Top 2018 Horror Movie.) But at a slim 96 minutes, The Nun moves along the story and characters rather quickly.

I think the two Conjuring movies are just better, too. Those two films though, add the curiosity factor to The Nun. It tries to go for a creative/twisty ending. The ending only feels creative/twisty because I was familiar with The Conjuring.

   

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

A New Horror Icon (5 minutes, 18 seconds)  

- A closer look at The Nun. Impressions on why viewers were initially drawn to the character in The Conjuring 2. There are no special effects in the creation of the monster. It is an actress, Bonnie Aarons, and some pretty good makeup.

Gruesome Planet (6 minutes, 18 seconds)

- The director Corin Hardy, and cast discuss the location in Romania to bring the gothic horror film to life.

The Conjuring Chronology (3 minutes, 50 seconds)

- A closer - but quick look - at the movies and the timeline/order of the stories which take place within the horror universe.

Deleted Scenes (12 minutes, 18 seconds)

- More for the curiosity factor. There are no real standout scenes. Some of the additional/extended scenes and some are story elements that are already touched upon within the finished film.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment