Get Ready for THE CAT IN THE HAT

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently in theatres from directors Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation comes the Dr. Seuss character of THE CAT IN THE HAT.

The Cat in the Hat (voiced by Bill Hader) is working for the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, where creatures visit human kids to bring them joy. One character who is not amused by the Cat’s antics is Mr. Hoogeboom (Giancarlo Esposito), who wants nothing more than to fire him. The Cat’s friend Sherrie (Quinta Brunson) from HR manages to get the Cat one more chance. Mr. Hoogeboom decides to give the Cat one of the most challenging kids, thinking that he will mess it up and that firing is almost certain. He believes it even more so when he tells the Cat to “not” go to a certain area for supplies. We all know what happens when you tell someone not to do something.

The kid? Gabby (Xochitl Gomez), an unhappy pre-teen who thinks her mother doesn’t understand her anymore, so she is totally in emo mode. Gabby’s brother Sebastian (Tiago Martinez) and his fish Waffles (Matt Berry) just want his sister to be happy, but that doesn’t seem to be possible. Moving to a new place while their mother, Carmen (America Ferrera), starts a new job, it doesn’t help that the landlord, Patty (Paula Pell), doesn’t seem to want them there either. It’s a rainy day, and Gabby just wants to be sad. It doesn’t last long, as the Cat shows up and exclaims that he is there to show them fun. The only thing that seems to catch Gabby’s attention is the Cat’s Go-Backer. She sees it as a way to get back to her old life.

After a quick wrestling match for it, it falls into one of three boxes, and now they have to explore each one to find it. Taking them on an adventure through each box, the kids learn that they are being chased by something called, well, the Something. At the institute, Sherrie learns what the boss has done: that the Cat has the Go-Backer, the Something is out there, Patty is on the rampage with Waffles the goldfish, and her friend just might need help. When confronted by the Something, Gabby, Sebastian, Mr. Waffles, and the Cat learn just who their friends are and what really matters in friendship, love, and family.

Hader, voicing the Cat, does such a wonderful job inflecting his vocals with every emotion this character can have. There is so much fun as well, which is what made my family and me laugh so much. Even if his voice is clearly recognizable, it certainly didn’t stop anyone in the theatre from having such a good time with it. Esposito as Hoogeboom gives the right amount of diabolical, but then again, he is so darn good at it.

Gomez as Gabby is just a young girl who hasn’t yet understood what it means to sacrifice. In this case, it is her own mother trying to do right by both Gabby and her brother. It’s okay; the journey that the Cat takes her on clears up a lot of that for her. Brunson as Sherrie is such a good friend; we should all have someone like that in our lives. Martinez as Sebastian is a young kid who loves his family, his fish, and his imagination!

Ferrera as Mom Carmen is just doing what moms do best. Even if there is a scary landlord involved. Speaking of her, Pell as Patty is another character that just cracked me up during the conversation with Waffles. Berry as Waffles is the goldfish we all wish we had as kids. Smart, a bit sarcastic, full-on drama-fish, and his scene going through the hoop of death is one that will stay with me for a long time.

Other cast include Bowen Yang as Gary and Titus Burgess as Psychic Narwhal. Shout-out to Taylor Swift for the band performance of “Shake it Off,” which has us laughing.

Tonight the theatre was filled to the brim with families that decided it was family night! Everyone was laughing, awww’ing and cheering- yes, cheering- especially for a certain goldfish and his great accomplishment. I’m not quite sure that THE CAT IN THE HAT was meant for audience participation, but tonight, it certainly was a full house of it. That made watching the film even more enjoyable. The animation was wonderful, colorful and fun, especially with all the Things.

Before that, Warner Bros. brought Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny and a few others of the gang to the screen for a bit of soccer fun. Memorable lines and fun for all the kids and the kids at heart made for a pretty sweet bit of memory all around. If you are headed out to the theatre this weekend, make THE CAT IN THE HAT your family choice. Oh, and I am now the proud owner of a fishbowl with Waffles that came filled with popcorn. Check that out while you are there as well!

In the end – the cat’s out of the bag!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ancient Story of RAMAYANA: Part One

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently in theatres from writer/director Nitesh Tiwari, Shridhar Raghavan, and Sony Pictures comes the epic story of RAMAYANA: Part One

The tale begins with the fight between Asuras and Devas. The battle is led by Indra, and when the Asuras are defeated, the Devas begin their rule over Lanka. Warrior Kaikashi (Lara Dutta) and the rest of the Asuras are living underground, struggling to survive. Angry, Kaikashi takes her young son Dashanan aside and tells him he must avenge their people. That is when Dashanan travels across the land, finding a place to meditate. Finally, Brahma accepts what he has been doing and asks what he wants. Dashanan decides he wants to be invincible so that no supernatural being can take his life. Brahma agrees.

Dashanan is now a changed man and takes on the Devas in Lanka. Nothing can stop him from taking the throne under the title of King Ravana (Yash). With his new power, his goal is now to battle all the realms of the universe. It is Indra who asks Vishnu to intervene. He chooses Prince Rama of Ayodhya (Ranbir Kapoor) as Vishnu’s seventh incarnation. Rama is the son of King Dasharatha (Arun Govil) and is the favored among the King’s four sons. After helping Vishvamitra defeat demons, he is given the hand of Princess Sita (Sai Pallavi) in marriage. Not wanting to marry without his brothers Lakshmana (Ravi Dubey), Bharata (Adinath Kothare), and Shatrughna (Nitish Sharma), they also find love at the same time as Rama.

As things begin to settle, King Dasharatha decides it is time to crown Rama as the successor. It is a hideous maid who convinces another of the King’s wives that her son should be king. She reminds Kaikeyi of a promise made at the time of their marriage that Bharata should be the successor. Rama wants to follow his father’s wishes like a good son and agrees to stand down, but Kaikeyi adds another command to it – that Rama remain in exile for fourteen years. Leaving their home, Sita and Lakshmana leave with Rama, much to the dismay of the people. Trying to find a safe place to call home, it doesn’t take long before Ravana’s sister Shurpanakha finds them and decides she wants Rama. Trying to let her down easy, he makes it clear that his only wife and love is Sita.

Trying to trick Rama, it sets the stage for revenge by Ravana, who wants to destroy him and doesn’t care that he is Vishnu’s avatar. Love, revenge, greed, and trickery are in play, and it is Rama who makes a vow to take back what is his and destroy Ravana, completely.

Kapoor as Rama is a kind and gentle person who believes in taking care of his people and takes on every danger. It is clear he loves his father and brothers, always wanting to protect them. So much so that he doesn’t hear the murmurings that will change his life. Kapoor’s portrayal is of a man who never once raises his voice, fights strongly, and honors the wishes of his father. All of it leads him down a path that never lets him take a moment's rest. Pallavi as Sita, instantly takes a liking to Rama, but she is not a little wallflower! A fighter in her own right, she jumps in when necessary and takes care of her husband and brother-in-law as they both decide to do right by a man who has been wronged.

Dubey as Kashmana is a brother who will not let Rama stand alone. Leaving his own family behind, he stands with Rama at every turn, believing in his every decision. Now that’s a bro’s bro! Dubey holds his character with strength and conviction. So well done. Kothare as Bharata could have easily taken the crown and run, but could not turn from the brother he loves so much. The scene between Rama and Bharata in the forest is one that really moved me. Sharma as Shatrughna is sort of the brother in the middle. He sees what has happened from all sides and throws his loyalty in with his three brothers.

Yash as King Ravana is clearly a beast. Starting out as a musically inclined young man, quickly turns into a grown man with vengeance on his mind. As we all know, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and it is absolutely so in Ravana’s case. The more he gets, the more he wants. Anyone who gets in his way, it doesn’t end well. A little rejection of his sister sets him on a path against Rama that is vicious in every way. Yash’s portrayal of this bad guy is raw, indifferent and so well done.

Other cast include Raghav Malhotra as young Ravana, Kiara Sadh as young Sita, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Indira Krishnan as Kaushalya, Sonal Jha as Sumitra, Rajiv Kumar as Janaka, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Rakul Singh as Shurpanakha, Chetan Hansraj as Sumali, Kanchan Chetal as Tataka, Saurabh Sachdeva as Maricha, Parminder Chhada as Subahu, Faisal Malik as Kumbhakarna, Raghav Juyal as Meghanada, Shobana as Kaikashi, Surabhi Das as Shrutakirti, Riya Kapoor as Mandavi, Sonia Balani as Urmila, Mukesh Tiwari as Agastya, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, Suhail Nayyar as Sugriva, Kunal Kapoor as Indra, Vivek Oberoi as Vidyutjihva, Harish Uthaman as Vibhishana and Anumpam Kher as the voice of Jatayu.

RAMAYANA is based on the poem by Valmiki. This is part one of the film, based on the first three chapters of that poem. The soundtrack of the film is created by two amazing composers in Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman. Part Two of the film has already been in the works, but no release date has been set yet. I can’t wait to hear when that is going to happen!

The film is not just a film, it is an epic experience coming in at over three hours. The visuals on the screen are brilliant, breathtaking, beautiful, and truly jaw-dropping. It is just grand on every scale, from the storytelling to the cast. My enjoyment comes on so many levels, but mainly because of my years of watching films from India. I truly enjoy them, yes, even the Bollywood films. RAMAYANA is so vibrant in color, so far-reaching in its creatures, using mythology (even if some of it is fairly stretched), to create such a treat for the eyes. 

Knowing there is a Part Two coming, I know the epic path for Rama is going to be filled with more trials, and Ravana is going to do whatever is necessary to bring, which should be, a huge, epic, mind-blowing battle until the end. I’m here for it.

In the end – the journey is not over!