Barnyard (PG)
Mike:
Scott:
Scott: Tonight we are reviewing Barnyard: The Original Party Animals
, a story about what really happens on the farm while the farmer is away.
What did you think Mike?
Mike: Not so good.
This movie helps prove that I don't like every movie that comes down the pike. There are a few funny moments. Very few.
What about you?
Scott: I think it had funny jokes, but was not a funny movie. It's been a while since I had a hard time staying awake in a movie.
Mike: I'm with you on that. It’s not a good sign when there are whole stretches of silence from the audience during an animated comedy.
Scott: I was looking for nodding heads and I saw a few.
I don't know if we just didn't get the jokes, or just they weren't funny or, what. I just know it didn't work.
Mike: Actually, there was a lot more laughter coming from the audience, both adults and children, than I could account for. Some things were funny, but at times they tried to throw out jokes like they were spaghetti and hoped some would stick.
The movie tried to be both funny and touching and didn't really succeed either way.
Scott: I agree, it tried to sit on the fence and managed only to get a wedgie.
Mike: I know I don't know a lot about barnyard animals, but male cows don't have udders do they?
Scott: I honestly don't know for sure about the udders, but I think you are right.
Kevin James starred as Otis, the cow forced into a leadership role when Ben the cow (Sam Elliot) dies a violent death at the hands of some coyotes.
Mike: That’s the other problem. This Nickelodeon movie is presumably for kids, but the scenes with the menacing coyotes killing a cow are a bit much for little kids who want to see this movie.
Scott: The climax was a bit rough too. I wasn't expecting full on butt kicking in an animated movie.
Mike: Elliot's voice is very distinctive, so you know it’s him right off. It’s ironic that he's the guy that says "Beef, it's what’s for dinner" in those commercials.
Scott: I forgot about that, good point. After all those years playing a cowboy, he has moved on to playing cows.
Mike: There are plenty of other actors contributing voices that you will recognize, but good luck figuring out who is who.
Scott: I figured out Wanda Sykes as Bessy the cow, but I think that was it.
Mike: You can probably pick out Sam Elliot and Wanda Sykes. By the way Wanda Sykes should probably be in every animated movie that comes out. Now that I think about it, she might be. Over the Hedge anyone? It’s okay though, I can't get too much Wanda.
Scott: She seems to appear in a movie every couple months.
Mike: Good luck guessing Courtney Cox, Andie McDowell, or David Koechner.
Scott: Koechner is Dag the Coyote and I would never have guessed that. He was in Talladega Nights, a movie we saw last night, and I had no clue he was in this. I wonder if Cox did this since David Schwimmer did Madagascar?
Mike: I did guess that comedian Dom Irrera was Duke the dog. Anybody who watches a lot of standup will know Dom. Or wait, maybe you have to be a big nerd for trivia? Either way, I knew.
There was waaay too much music in this movie and none of it was very good.
Scott: There was one song, Mr. Boombastic that's 10 or so years old! I guess they couldn’t get any of the newer songs that are out and the kids would know. Half of the kids in the audience were younger than that song.
Mike: I think that the animation was very good, but with today's technology it would be unusual to see an animated feature film that wasn't.
Scott: Pretty much you only note when they mess it up.
I said after the movie, that young kids would like it, but you said that it may be too violent for that. I have to agree with you on that (even though I hate to agree with you on anything).
Another voice I want to mention is Danny Glover as Miles. I couldn't place the voice and knew it was familiar.
Mike: This opus was brought to us by Steve Oedekerk, so up front you knew it could go either way. Steve is responsible for Bruce Almighty and the upcoming Evan Almighty with Steve Carrel as well as the Nutty Professor movies. But he's also responsible for Patch Adams and any number of "thumb" movies including Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle, The Blair Thumband Thumbtanic.
He also produced Jimmy Neutron for Nickelodeon, but people coming to this expecting Jimmy are going to be in for a shock.
Scott: There are a couple ok movies in that bunch.
Mike: That would be the first batch. The second bunch including the "thumb" movies would be the not so good.
Scott: So how do you rate this?
Mike: I give it a 4.
Just kidding.
Lets try 2 overall and 2 for animated comedy. A couple of the dog jokes and some slapstick with the donkey made me laugh.
And you?
Scott: I was not impressed; I give it a 2 overall and a 1.5 for animated comedy.
Mike: If you don't appreciate the smell of a barnyard, I would stay away from this movie.
