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Monday • November 24, 1997
Entertainment
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\nastasia and Mermaid duke it out at the box office
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aocK!
et’s get ready to rumble. It
was a cat fight this weekend
pJand I am not talking about a
ynasty” reunion show. I’m talk-
about the battle royale be-
een GLOA — the Georgous
lies of Animation.
This weekend, Disney’s TheLit-
Mermaid went fin to toe against
h Century Fox’ Anastasia.
While there is little question
astasia will win at the box of-
e, considering this is
rmaid’s second voyage to the
screen.
The real question is simply,
ftiich computer-animated stick
[awing is better?”
The answer is The Little Mer-
aid, but only by a kopeck or two.
Let’s begin with the newcomer.
mtasia is the retelling of the
iry of Princess Anastasia, the
ughter of the last czar of Russia.
The Romanov royal family, of
tiich Anastasia is a member of,
IIduring the Communist Revo-
tionof 1916 and all family
embers were executed.
There have been rumors that
lastasia managed to avoid be-
g murdered and lived. Anasta-
3is animation’s answer to JFK
\iNixon, just without Oliver
one getting in the way with all
lose freaky editing techniques.
Anastasia is a cute little car-
ion with plenty of spunk to keep
lyviewer entertained.
The animation is surprisingly
falistic and at times it is hard
distinguish between reality
id animation.
The most inventive feature of
nstasia is its background. As
opposed to the traditional back
ground, Anastasia uses classical
art techniques for background art.
For example, in the scenes of the
film that take place in France, Seu
rat’s technique of pointillism is used.
For all your people who
missed out on art history, pointil
lism is where you make tiny dots
with paint and those dots make a
larger picture. Still don’t get it?
Remember that one scene in Fer
ris Bueller’s Day OJf where
Cameron just stares at that pic
ture. That’s pointillism.
If you still don’t get it, slap your
self three times for being stupid.
The characters of Anastasia
are drawn very realistically. Sev
eral times, I found myself saying,
“That was a very human flinch.’’
The effort the animators put
into Anastasia is evident, I only
wish they had a script that could
live up to the pain-staking detail
they gave this film.
The premise of the film is flim
sy at best. Several plot holes exist
that are unexplainable.
I’m not suggesting an iron
clad plot structure, but things as
simple as snow in Russia, but in
warm sunny weather in Paris
doesn’t seem too plausible.
The plot is somewhat saved by
the romance that occurs between
Anastasia and Dimitri.
It has a romantic comedy
quality to it. Which is ironic con
sidering the voice of Anastasia is
provided by the Queen of Ro
mantic Comedies, Meg Ryan.
Perhaps the weakest part of
Anastasia is the bad guy, Rasputin.
In the opening moments of the
film, Rasputin looks like a rather
promising baddie, but then the
makers of the film forget about
him and he becomes a pesky an
noyance more than anything.
Actually, Rasputin looks like a
warped version of Jafar from Dis-
Vs
Ariel
The Little Mermaid
Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements
Songs by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Rated G
Playing at Post Oak Cinema
★ ★★★ 1/2
Anastasia
Anastasia
Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman
Songs by Eric Tuchman
Rated G
Playing at Hollywood 16
★★★★
ney’s Aladdin, and not a very
good version at that.
For all its promising animation
and extravagant computer graph
ics, Anastasia does not deviate
from the animation film plot line
that Disney has imposed on all
toon films.
Which brings us to The Little
Mermaid. The first time I saw The
Little Mermaid, I fell in love. This
was the animation I worshiped as
a kid watching 101 Dalmatians
and Sleeping Beauty.
The Little Mermaid made
movies such as The Lion King and
Beauty and the possible.
Plus it has one of the greatest vil
lains to grace a Disney animation
cel. Ursula is second only to
Cruella DeVil in terms of sheer
delectable evil. It is characters
like Ursula that make Disney
movies fun to watch.
The re-release of Mermaid
though does have its painful mo
ments though. While I smiled and
laughed at the “dinglehopper” and
felt chills go through my spine as
Ariel belts out another tune, it is
simply a painful reminder of the
fall of the House of Disney.
In recent years, films like The
Hunchback of Notre Dame and
Pocahontas have simply con
firmed that Jeffrey Katzenberg re
ally did make Disney the block
busting powerhouse it was.
Despite their drawbacks
though, both films are extremely
clever and prove that animation
still can make audiences want to
get up and sing.
— By Aaron Meier
‘West Side Story’ tour stays faithful to original
!H
Perfonnances on
Nov. 24 and 25
at 8 p.m
i2ff
By Stephen Wells
Staff writer
E very now and again, in the world of
art, a particular work comes along
and changes all the rules. Whether it
is The Jazz Singer or Star Wars, Buddy Hol
ly or Nirvana, the impact is profound.
“West Side Story,” one such revolutionary
work, is coming to Texas A&M University
tonight and tomorrow night.
“West Side Story” is the Romeo and
Julietesque tale of two lovers caught be
tween rival gangs in the ’50s. The original
Broadway musical won two Tony awards
in 1957 (for best choreography and best
set design) and another in 1980 (for the
best revival).
More than just slick dancing and
snazzy clothes, the play was a critique of
the practice of blaming society for a child’s
delinquent behavior and a message of
love crossing social boundaries.
Thurman Schweitzer, director of pub
licity and advertising for MSG OPAS and a
senior geography major, said the musical
is a standard by which other musicals
must measure themselves.
“It’s the musical that changed musi
cals forever,” Schweitzer said. “After it
first played, other musicals changed
their format and their whole production
to follow it. It’s a trendsetter.”
Mark Evans, a sophomore accounting
major, said students will be able to identify
with the atmosphere of “West Side Story.”
“I think it’s one of those musicals that
can reach college-age students,” Evans
said. “An older person won’t relate to it like
a younger one will. It’s fun to go to — like
the Rocky Horror Show.”
The message about the evils of a divi
sion in society between groups and the
tragic consequences of being protective
and insular against outside groups has rel
evance for a Texas A&M audience.
“I think we can learn something from
it,” Evans said. “Here, sometimes it’s like
you have the same kind of situation,
where if you’re in the Corps, it feels like
you can only be friends with Corps people
or a fraternity person can only like frater
nity people. The message the play brings
is that groups shouldn’t matter.”
Schweitzer said the story is a timeless
cc
It’s the musical that
changed musicals forever. After
it first played, other musicals
changed their format and their
whole production to follow it.”
Thurman Schweitzwer
senior geography major
and serious one, but students should not
approach the play expecting to get a lec
ture on social values.
“I actually think they’re going to leave
whistling the tune,” Schweitzer said. “I
think the people who see it are going to
have fun. It’s something that’s deep and
concerning, but it’s presented in a fun
way.”
The play, which will be performed in
Rudder Auditorium, is a faithful rendition
of the original play, with no updated char
acters or sequences to make it a “’90s” per
formance.
“This is the original show from when it
was first on Broadway,” Schweitzer said.
“These are not students performing, this
is a national tour. The music they’ll play is
the original Leonard Bernstein music, the
lyrics are the original Stephen Sondheim
lyrics, and the choreography will be the
same.”
The show has been faithfully recreated
because of its original popularity.
“It is that popular and that world-
renowned that people want to watch it
over and over again,” Schweitzer said.
“That’s why we wanted to bring it here.”
Please see West Side on Page 4.
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MOVIE TIME GUIDE
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS VALID FOR
MONDAY-TUESDAY NOV. 24-25, 1997
MONDAY NIGHT IS KTSR STUDENT NIGHT
2 FOR 1 ADMISSION FOR STUDENTS WITH CURRENT ID
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MEN IN BLACK (PG-13)
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BOX OFFICE OPENS 6:30 pm
MONDAY through TUESDAY
Biology Department
These courses were left out of
the Spring course catalog.
HlCR 351 - Section 508 BSBE 312 MW 8-9:50 a.m.
^ICR 351 - Section 509 BSBE 312 MW 10-11:50 a.m.
fc>OL 388 - Section 505 BTLR 001 T 9:35-12:25 a.m.
K)OL 388 - Section 506 BTLR 001 R 9:35-12:25 a.m.
“JOL 489 - SP TP GENES, ECLGY & EVOL Pepper
Section 500 BTLR 100 MWF 10:20-11:10 a.m.
For more information call 845-7771
MSC Barber Shop
Serving All Aggies!
Cuts and Styles
All Corp Cuts $7.
Regular cuts start at $8.
Curtis Steele has moved from
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to the MSC Barbershop. Come see him!
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j Juniors & Seniors!
LAND 340-500 Landscape Architecture in America (3 crs.)
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