2000-12-14 - 20:48:45
The Beatles -- Yellow Submarine
THIS A MOVEIE REVIEW WRITTEN BY MY VERY INTELLIGENT NEPHEW CJ (AGE 13)
Music is one of the most popular forms of expression, along with art and movies. Yellow Submarine seems to bring all of those aspects together into one great film. The creativity in every frame is shocking, the fantastic music is delightful. The loosely connected story line seems to be glued together by the animated musical sequences. The Beatles Yellow Submarine is a wonderful movie for babyboomers and their children, as well as Beatles Fans, and Non-Beatles fans.
The plot in this story is very basic, yet, at the same time it is also very abstract. Pepperland is a land of peace, love, and joy. However, in the Highlands are the Blue Meanies. The Meanies despise the rainbow of colors and the strains of music in Pepperland, played by Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Meanies launch an attack of Apple Bonkers, Gloves, Snapping Turtle Turks,and many more mysterious soldiers, suspending the people of Pepperland in a “bluish” , statue-like state. It is up to Old Fred to get into the Yellow Submarine and find none other than the Fab Four to help free the people of Pepperland.
Easily, the best part of this film was the abstract representation of the original songs. The best being the “Eleanor Rigby” sequence, almost bringing me to tears. The collage of real-life images combined with the surrealism of the film’s animation. The colors used in the sequence are gloomy and dull, colors which clearly represent the songs meaning.. Other songs are represented from their direct lyrics, such as the Yellow Submarine song, and Nowhere Man represented by someone who has everything, and knows everything, but has no one to share his ideas with
Another favorite of this film was the dry comedy, and the dialogue.
A typical example:
“Hey! It’s a Cyclops!”
“But it’s got two eyes.”
“Then it’s a biclops.”
“There's another one!”
“It’s a whole biclopedia!”
The added hilarity of the dialogue contributes greatly to the film, and makes it fun and enjoyable for all audiences. But without the crazy characters, and scenarios, there would be nothing to poke fun of. My favorite character was Jeremy Hillary Boob, Ph.D. A short, brown, fluffy, creature, who seems to be wearing way too much facial make-up. He someone (or something) that has way too much knowledge for his own good. The song “Nowhere Man” is an ode to him. More of the fascinating characters are the monsters, found in the sea of monsters. They range from the small monsters that shoot fireworks, to the large monsters, one of them has a vacuum for a nose, and soon sucks up everything, including himself. Many of the situations and characters seem to be straight out of “The Phantom Tollbooth.
When at the end, love seems to win, literally. The Yellow Submarine was a fantastic movie for a rainy day, or any other time you are feeling blue. Nobody could have taken song and turn it into an hour and a half musical journey, like the Beatles. The Yellow Submarine is a wonderful movie for all ages, and opinions of music.
