With the recent announcement that Pixar, those purveyors of flawless (?) animated family films, was once again going back to the base for a sequel to the fan favorite Finding Nemo, a question has arisen among cartoon connoisseurs. To paraphrase said sentiment—are the masters of mainstream computer animation looking to be more creative, or more commercial? Posited another way, the issue becomes one of corporate interference, business model meddling, and a true lack of pundit perspective. Granted, John Lasseter and the gang stumbled a bit with Cars 2 (seen by many as made for merchandising reasons only) and Brave (which may have won the Oscar but few true converts), but for the most part, their reputation has remained unsullied…

While I was waiting for my cherry coke at the theatre last night, the teenager who was serving popcorn asked me what this 42 movie was all about anyhow and why so many people were coming to the early show to see it. “Do you know who Jackie Robinson is?,” I asked. “No,” he said. I told the kid who Jackie Robinson was and felt an immediate wave of disappointment when I saw that why being the first black man to play in major league baseball didn’t seem like a big deal to the kid. Is it nice that he doesn’t process the segregation and prejudice implications of Robinson’s importance as a civil rights hero? Well…no. I want to scream yes! I want to think this means we live in a post-racial world where nothing matters but our character, perseverance and abilities.

Racism is an ugly, ugly thing. There is no excuse for it, no way to argue out of its sickening sensibility. Time and temperament can change. So can people and perspective. But to make rash, ridiculous decisions based on skin tone, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or any other superficial stricture is the most mindless of judgment calls, and to attempt to defend such dumbness is the height of hopelessness. People should be based on who they are as human beings, not predetermined misread stereotypes. And yet we are currently embroiled in a clash over same sex marriage, only fifty years removed from a time when “colored” folk had to use segregated social facilities - if they were allowed in at all.

Alternative titles: Invasion of the Bee Girl; Me So Hornet

POSITIVES:
Campy movie benefits from straight-faced performances.

Interesting subtext re: societal pressures on women to look “young”.

Straight-talkin’ receptionists provide fun change of pace.

Old-to-young metamorphosis is startling without being overdone.

Good pace once it gets going, but…

The premise of the original Neverending Story (both book and film) represents the coming of a plague dubbed as the ‘Nothing’, where the world is coming to an end because people lack the imagination to keep it stable. Most movies dealing with the apocalypse have adults running about to stop it from happening, yet the Neverending Story is the exact opposite. The Neverending Story presents a world where children are allowed to make choices without adult interference; how a child goddess goes to great lengths in acting as a guide to stop the ‘Nothing’ from destroying a world imbued with creativity and imagination; and how misconceptions of juvenile daydreaming breaks down to teach us how gifted children carry the imagination to actually bring about change.