Latino movie news, reviews, trailers, and festival coverage

Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph is by far the best film about a video game ever done. This comment doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the best animated movie of the year – “Frankenweenie,” “Rise of the Guardians,” “Paranorman” and “Brave” might have something to say against that, but it should be amongst the favorites at the Oscars in 2013. Nevertheless, it is visually nostalgic, sensorially exuberant, vivaciously mirthful and emotionally moving.

The plot is simple and has been done before, but it is always about the execution. For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day. Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. On his quest, Ralph meets tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty, and feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart-racing game Sugar Rush, who may just be his first real friend. But everything changes when a deadly enemy is unleashed, threatening the entire arcade and Vanellope herself. Ralph finally gets his chance to save the day—but can he do it in time?

For anyone who has ever played video games circa 1980’s and 90’s, novice film director Rich Moore, a cartoon veteran, does a magnificent job in getting his animators to reproduce the exact Nintendo and arcade images of yesteryear. It almost felt like it was 1988 in the movie and outside of the theater. He managed to capture vast inside references and minutiae like kids placing their quarters against the front border of the arcade to gesture that they were next to play, etc. It is that attention to detail that makes a difference in the emotional cinematic experience of the spectator.

The 3D is surprisingly subtle, I’d actually say too subtle for a film of this nature. Instead of seeing pixels fly out of the screen, I had to lift my glasses to make sure I wasn’t watching 2D. When the result is this uneventful, the extra investment is completely unnecessary.

This is a movie hard not to enjoy. Adults will appreciate it because it’ll remind them of their youth when they would run home from school to play ‘Q*bert,’ along with all the inside references and retro cliche’s, and kids today will have fun with it because it possesses all the color, fast paced imagery and gags they come to expect from today’s animated assemblage.

Latinos, the highest movie going demographic in the United States, love animated movies more than any one else. They’re sure to make this movie a #1 hit at the box office!

Leaping lizards! Imagine a little Latina Annie? We have.

This week it was confirmed that power players Jay-Z and Will Smith will officially produce “Annie” with an African-American twist. Yes, the little orphan that sings “the sun will come out tomorrow,” will be black. Annie will be played by the adorable 9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis who will go into Oscar history as the youngest Best Actress Oscar nominee. The Academy Award gave Wallis this honor after her astounding performance in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

This wonderful news got us thinking – if Hollywood can have a black Annie, why can’t they also have a little adorable Latin Annie?  Read More

Exclusive! First look ‘K-11’ poster with Kate del Castillo!

You “La Reina del Sur” telenovela fans are going to love me today! I just got my hands on the exclusive first look character poster of “K-11” with Mexican actress Kate del Castillo!

Jules Stewart, mother to Twilight star Kristen, directs del Castillo in this drama that tells the story of a man’s plight after winding up in K-11, the Los Angeles County Jail’s transgender inmate unit.

Jules Stewart and K-11 producers are being smart about capitalizing on Latino moviegoers by casting the very talented Kate del Castillo. From what I can gather, this looks like Kate’s most challenging role to date where she is showcasing her ability to play very layered characters. Kate is a thespian and in this movie she’s unforgettable!  Read More

Oscars 2014 Will Be The Year Of The Latinos!

The 2013 Academy Awards might not have been the most cheerful event for Latino viewers who expected more wins for their own.

This year, out the 24 categories there were only four wins we can claim ours including Best Cinematography for the Chilean Claudio Miranda (who doesn’t speak Spanish) for his work on “Life of Pi,” Best Documentary Short for “Inocente” about a homeless undocumented Latina immigrant who longs to be an artist, Best Documentary Feature for “Searching for Sugar Man” about a musician of Mexican descent named Rodriguez who became bigger than Elvis Presley in South Africa during the 70s, and the biggest win of the night, Best Picture for “Argo,” based on the story of CIA operative Tony Mendez, who though he says is not Hispanic, does admit to having a Mexican bloodline. 

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