Tim,

I don't think this is one of those things that you should struggle to find inner meaning within. Sometimes a bad movie is just a bad movie. My suggestion is to go see Cars and be entertained for a couple of hours.

I don't think this is one of those things that you should struggle to find inner meaning within.

How touching, that you should worry so much about how I spend my time. Instead, I should be spending more time watching ... movies! Like "Cars", which, frankly, looks lame.

And: "Struggle"? Who had to "struggle"? Reviewer after reviewer noticed this theme. Promotional materials even ANNOUNCE this film is trying to teach your kids a lesson. But to you, I'm, uhhh, STRUGGLING to make it say something??? Please tell the film's producers that, mmmkay?

What is it about pointing out the obvious which is so threatening to some people?

A while ago, I wrote a review of John Carpenter's "Them". The film, which is full of humans slaughtering ugly aliens, is a thinly-veiled analogy for how many Democrats felt about the Reagan presidency. Carpenter has the aliens utter Reagan's campaign slogans, and I even produce quotes from Carpenter himself, saying that's where the film came from.

Yet commenter after commenter posts: "Oh, please, don't find this analogy in the film. Oh, no, really, it means nothing!"

Bull!

Filmmakers go on and on and on about how much positive political meaning a certain film has. Or how they'll teach your kids a good moral lesson. And advertisers spend millions of dollars on the idea that what you view in films and on TV will influence behavior.

But then allege they're teaching something negative in a film? Suddenly, people will insist there is no attempt to "teach" in said film, or that films carry no messages or cannot impact thinking or behavior.

As if every advertiser in the world -- with the thousands and millions they spend on research showing otherwise -- was completely wrong.

I wasn't trying to tell you how to spend your time. I just figured I would suggest a good animated movie to go see as an alternative to one that you have (correctly, IMO) pointed out as a dog.

Filmmakers go on and on and on about how much positive political meaning a certain film has. Or how they'll teach your kids a good moral lesson. And advertisers spend millions of dollars on the idea that what you view in films and on TV will influence behavior.

I guess I never considered that possibility since I don't have kids and I don't pay attention to what filmmakers have to say. I either like a movie or I don't. I vote with my dollars, just like everybody else who goes to the movies.

Again, I wasn't trying to belittle your opinions or observations. I take movies at face value and just thought I would suggest one that was superbly animated and very funny.

Jeff,

Hey! I certainly appreciate the pointer to a good film. (Good films are rather rare.) "Cars" looked lame to me (I only saw a short trailer), but if you're saying it's "superbly animated and very funny" then perhaps I might get around to seeing it.

It looked to me like the quality might have been slipping at Pixar. Glad to know some think otherwise.

I didn't think you were 'belitting' my observations! (And wouldn't care if you did.) I just tend to hear the same thing over and over, and your comment sounded rather close to the "how dare you point out a problem with X / get a life" narrative which typically crops up here. (Perhaps I've spent too much time listening to the incesssant whining of Quixtar IBOs!)

Sorry if perhaps it didn't apply!

Sincerely...

Oh, and for the record, I don't view "The Ant Bully" as a deliberate, conscious attempt to "teach communism" to kids, much as advertisers want us to drink more milk, or buy a particular car -- in case anyone's getting that impression.

But I do think it's yet another deliberate, conscious attempt to teach what Hollywood sees as "good moral values" -- which just happen to be economic and governmental collectivism, and just happen to be rather close to Marxist thinking (including the forced labor and all!) -- to kids.

Hollywood's elites would deny over and over, if you asked them, that they were "socialists" or especially (everyone scream "McCarthy!" now!) Communists. But if you sat down and listed socialist beliefs and policies and said: "Do you agree with this?" they'd say "yes" over and over.

Of course they have good intentions!

Just no understanding of history or economics.

It looked to me like the quality might have been slipping at Pixar.

I assume it takes a while to produce any animated film, however Disney decided to buy Pixar last January. Since at least a few of Pixar's employees were refugees from Disney, I wouldn't be surprised if morale and quality took a hit.

I don't know if the buyout and the film are cause and effect, or if the time scale even allows for that.